Aname longitheca Raven, 1985

Figs 1, 7, 42–43

Aname longitheca Raven, 1985: 402, figs 16, 28, 65.

Diagnosis

Males of A. longitheca can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. aurensis sp. nov., A. briggsi sp. nov., A. eddieorum sp. nov., A. hughenden sp. nov., A. mulgana sp. nov., A. rupicola sp. nov., and A. warrego sp. nov. by a moderate to large body size (carapace length>4.0 mm), the presence of a long embolus (embolus length/ bulb length>1.5) that has a relatively wide basal section tapering into an attenuate, sinuous distal section after about 0.4 of length, and the absence of a prominent sharp heel on metatarsus I (as in the pallida -complex) (Fig. 42L–M). Males of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. aurensis, A. briggsi, A. hughenden, A. mulgana, and A. rupicola by the presence of a tibia I that stays about the same width from the proximal end to the base of the tibial spur when in lateral view (Fig. 42P; cf. Figs 34, 36, 41, 44, 46). Males of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. warrego by the presence of a thicker palp tibia (palp tibia length /width <3) (Fig. 42J–K; cf. Fig. 48). Males of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. eddieorum by the presence of a longer, more curved embolus (embolus length / bulb length ~2.7; cf. ~ 2.2 in A. eddieorum) (Fig. 42L–M; cf. Fig. 39).

Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from all species for which females are known except A. aurensis sp. nov., A. briggsi sp. nov., A. camara, A. dingo sp. nov., A. eddieorum sp. nov., A. mulgana sp. nov., and A. rupicola sp. nov. by the presence of spermathecae with two vesicles, with relatively long and straight lateral vesicles (lateral vesicle length / genitalia width>0.25) and long medial vesicles (medial vesicle length / lateral vesicle length>1) that project medially or posteromedially, before undulating anteriorly (Fig. 43L). Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. eddieorum and A. mulgana by the presence of spermathecae with lateral vesicles terminating in narrower ends (Fig. 43L; cf. Figs 40, 45). Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. aurensis and A. dingo by the presence of spermathecae with long medial vesicles (medial vesicle length/ genitalia width> 0.6) and dark patches of cuticle on the sternum, surrounding and lateral of the sigilla (Fig. 43G–I, L; cf. Figs 35, 38). Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. camara by the presence of a darker body colouration and spermathecae with longer vesicles (lateral vesicle length / genitalia width> 0.35) with less widely-spaced crowns (distance between crowns less than length of lateral vesicles) (Fig. 43A–L; cf. Fig. 107). Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from A. briggsi by the presence of spermathecae with less elongate lateral and medial vesicles (medial vesicle length /genitalia width <0.65) (Fig. 43L; cf. Fig. 37). Females of A. longitheca can be distinguished from those of A. rupicola by the presence of spermathecae with straighter lateral vesicles (Fig. 43L; cf. Fig. 47).

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♀; Rubyvale; 23°25′ S, 147°42′ E; 29 Jun. 1980; I.A. Manthey leg.; QMB S1283.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♂; Rubyvale; 23°25′ S, 147°41′ E; 18 Jun. 2002; S. Eldridge leg.; QMB S548246 • 1 ♀; Rubyvale, Capella Road; 23°25′ S, 147°42′ E; 259 m a.s.l.; 18 Apr. 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118281 .

Description

Male (QMB S548246)

GENERAL (Fig. 42A–Q). Body length 18.88, in good condition, colour presumably faded due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 42A, E–F). Carapace length 7.89, width 6.89, length/width 1.15, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.72, caput width/carapace width 0.71, carapace red-brown, reflective setae present, heavy on caput, moderate on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.17 (Fig. 42A, F); chelicerae dark red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.55 (Fig. 42A); eye group rectangular, width/length 2.23, eye tubercle present (Fig. 42E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 42B, D). Abdomen length 6.67, brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 42C, G–I). Labium cuspules present, count =2 (Fig. 42H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count = about 131, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 40% of maxillae length (Fig. 42C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 42C, I); sternum length/width 1.27, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, some shorter thorn-like setae around anterior edges, darker cuticle around sigilla (Fig. 42G–H); posterior sigilla semi-elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.21, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.12 (Fig. 42G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 42G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 42N–Q). Leg I dark red-brown, lighter on distal metatarsus and tarsus, femur length 6.57, patella length 4.08, tibia length 4.64, metatarsus length 4.44, tarsus length 2.79, total length 22.53, leg I length/carapace length 2.86 (Fig. 42N–O); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 42N–O); spine count Fe D 1, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 42N–O); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.95, widening from proximal end to spur before narrowing again towards distal end, spur present, digitiform, knuckle present, megaspine angled at 14 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.46, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.51, megaspine length/tibia length 0.19 (Fig. 42N–P); metatarsus slightly sinuous, proximal excavation present, excavation concave with pronounced heel, heel broadly rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.46, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 3.42 (Fig. 42N–O, Q).

PEDIPALP (Fig. 42J–M). Tibia length 3.47, width 1.29, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.69, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.63, retrolateral face with consistent covering of light setae, ventral face with without any distinctive setae, prolateral face with two disto-ventral spines, disto-medial spine absent (Fig. 42J–K); patella prolateral face with 2 spines (Fig. 42J–K); cymbium with scopulae present distally (Fig. 42J–K); copulatory organ total length 1.88, length/palp tibia length 0.54 (Fig. 42L–M); bulb length/width 0.81 (Fig. 42L–M); embolus demarcated and roughly perpendicular to bulb, attenuate, with wide base tapering about halfway along into attenuate apical section, one slight bend, at about 0.6 of length, slight bend before tip, width at base/bulb width 0.31, embolus length/bulb length 2.74 (Fig. 42L–M).

Female (holotype, QMB S1283)

GENERAL (Fig. 43A–L). Body length 20.28, in moderate condition, colour faded significantly due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 43A, E–F). Carapace length 7.38, width 6.19, length/width 1.19, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.75, caput width/carapace width 0.80, carapace orange-brown, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.16 (Fig. 43A, F); chelicerae red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.55 (Fig. 43A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.9, eye tubercle present (Fig. 43E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 43B, D). Abdomen length 9.13, light brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 43C, G–I). Labium cuspules present, count =1 (Fig. 43H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count = about 162, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 50% of maxillae length (Fig. 43C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 43C, I); sternum length/width 1.14, central sternum with consistent covering of moderate setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, some shorter thorn-like setae around anterior edges (Fig. 43G–H); posterior sigilla semi-elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.22, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.18 (Fig. 43G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 43G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 43J–K). Leg I orange-brown, darker on patella and tibia, femur length 5.62, patella length 3.50, tibia length 3.63, metatarsus length 3.36, tarsus length 2.26, total length 18.38, leg I length/carapace length 2.49; scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus; spine count Fe D 1, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 4, Ti RL 4, Me PL 2, Me RL 2, Ta 0; tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.95.

GENITALIA (Fig. 43D, L). Epigastric furrow unmodified (Fig. 43D); spermathecae with two vesicles each (Fig. 43L); lateral vesicle relatively straight, length 0.52, lateral vesicle length/genitalia width 0.40, length/width at base 1.64, crown un-demarcated (Fig. 43L); medial vesicle with distinct basal section angled medially, before undulating anteriorly, medial vesicle length/genitalia width 0.64, length/width 6.2, medial vesicle length/lateral vesicle length 1.59 (Fig. 43L).

Distribution and natural history

Aname longitheca occurs in the ‘Gemfields’ of central Queensland, in the Brigalow Belt North bioregion, where it is known only from near the town of Rubyvale (Fig. 7). It constructs an open, silk-lined burrow without silk outside of the entrance, on an angle, and with a hidden secondary ‘wishbone’ entrance (Fig. 7).