Aname robertsorum -complex

Figs 1, 3D, 5D, 9, 56–63

Remarks

See the key to complexes and Figures 3–5 for diagnostic information. In life, spiders of the robertsorum - complex have a dark carapace and chelicerae, a brown abdomen, and bicoloured legs, with dark femora and light orange distal segments and coxae (Fig. 9). Females of the robertsorum -complex generally have reflective bronze setae on the carapace and dorsal abdomen and may also have slight banding on the dorsal abdomen (Fig. 9). Male colour and setation in life is unknown. Spiders of this complex generally make an open, silk-lined burrow without silk outside of the entrance, with the entrance often on an angle, and with a hidden secondary ‘wishbone’ entrance. The burrows are sometimes found in areas with a leaf-litter layer, and indeed the entrance may be somewhat embedded in the leaf-litter (Fig. 9).

Distribution

The robertsorum -complex is currently known only from north Queensland, in the Einasleigh Uplands and Wet Tropics bioregions. Species tend to have quite small natural ranges.

Composition

The robertsorum -complex includes six described species: Aname calida sp. nov., A. carina Raven, 1985, A. cassowariensis sp. nov., A. harmoniosa sp. nov., A. robertsorum Raven, 1985, and A. tropicana sp. nov .. Juveniles of another putative species, here called Aname sp. “ravenshoe” are included in our phylogeny (Fig. 1), and the map for this complex (Fig. 9) but the species cannot be described due to the lack of adult specimens.

Key to species in the Aname robertsorum -complex

Note: females are unknown for A. calida sp. nov., A. cassowariensis sp. nov., A. harmoniosa sp. nov., and A. robertsorum .

1. Male ................................................................................................................................................... 2

– Female................................................................................................................................................ 7

Males

2. Embolus length>2 × bulb length (Figs 57, 60–61) .......................................................................... 3

– Embolus shorter (Figs 56, 59, 62) ..................................................................................................... 5

3. Tibia I distance from proximal end to spur ~ 0.7 × tibia I length (Fig. 57) ..... A. carina Raven, 1985

– Tibial spur closer to proximal end of tibia I (distance from proximal end to spur <0.6 × tibia I length) ................................................................................................................................................ 4

4. Metatarsus I excavation length ~ 0.55 × metatarsus I length; embolus more sinuous (Fig. 60) .......................................................................................................... A. harmoniosa sp. nov.

– Metatarsus I with a shorter proximal excavation (~0.44 × metatarsus I length) and embolus straighter (Fig. 61) ................................................................................................ A. robertsorum Raven, 1985

5. Metatarsus I length <4 × width (Fig. 62) ........................................................... A. tropicana sp. nov.

– Metatarsus I thinner ........................................................................................................................... 6

6. Palp tibia length ~2.6 × width (Fig. 56) .................................................................. A. calida sp. nov.

– Palp tibia less elongate (length ~2.3 × width) (Fig. 59)............................ A. cassowariensis sp. nov.

Females

7. Spermathecae medial vesicle length about equal to lateral vesicle length (Fig. 58) ........................... ......................................................................................................................... A. carina Raven, 1985

– Spermathecae with shorter medial vesicles (~0.7 × lateral vesicle length) (Fig. 63) ......................... ............................................................................................................................ A. tropicana sp. nov.