Aname cassowariensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4D59A0A4-D4F8-4D99-AE65-970EA62C9A69

Figs 9, 59

Aname “MYG685” – Rix et al. 2021: figs 3, 5, 7.

Diagnosis

Males of A. cassowariensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. calida sp. nov., A. carina, A. harmoniosa sp. nov., A. robertsorum, and A. tropicana sp. nov. by a moderate to large body size (carapace length>4.0 mm), and the presence of a long embolus (embolus length / bulb length>1.5) that is thin, with a sharp bend near its base before a relatively straight distal section (Fig. 59L–M). Males of A. cassowariensis can be distinguished from those of A. carina, A. harmoniosa, and A. robertsorum by the presence of a shorter embolus (embolus length / bulb length <2) (Fig. 59L–M; cf. Figs 57, 60, 61). Males of A. cassowariensis can be distinguished from those of A. tropicana by the presence of thinner leg and pedipalp segments (e.g., metatarsus I length / width>4) (Fig. 59J–K, N–Q; cf. Fig. 62). Males of A. cassowariensis can be distinguished from those of A. calida by the presence of a less elongate palp tibia (palp tibia length /width ~ 2.3; cf. 2.6 in A. calida) (Fig. 59J–K; cf. Fig. 56).

Females of A. cassowariensis sp. nov. are unknown.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ cassowariensis ’ references the known distribution of this species in the Cassowary Coast region of tropical Queensland.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♂; 1 km W of Cowley Beach; 17°42′ S, 146°06′ E; 5 m a.s.l.; 5–11 Feb. 1998; G.B. Monteith and D.J. Cook leg.; pitfall trap, open forest; QMB S63052.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♂; Caleo Road, Mutarnee, E of Paluma Range; 19°00′ S, 146°18′ E; 20 Apr. 2019; S. Brennan leg.; excavated, burrow under pot, fruit farm; QMB S111473 .

Description

Male (holotype, QMB S63052)

GENERAL (Fig. 59A–Q). Body length 14.61, in good condition, colour presumably faded due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 59A, E–F). Carapace length 5.56, width 4.33, length/width 1.28, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.69, caput width/carapace width 0.65, carapace red-brown, caput slightly darker than thorax, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.14 (Fig. 59A, F); chelicerae dark red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.55 (Fig. 59A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.91, eye tubercle present (Fig. 59E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 59B, D). Abdomen length 5.60, light grey, dorsal pattern absent, with evidence of reflective setae covering dorsal abdomen.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 59C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 59H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 80, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 35% of maxillae length (Fig. 59C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 59C, I); sternum length/width 1.19, many setae rubbed off, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, some shorter thorn-like setae around anterior edges (Fig. 59G–H); posterior sigilla ovoid, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.29, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.11 (Fig. 59G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 59G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 59N–Q). Leg I orange-brown, lighter on patella, tibia, distal metatarsus and tarsus, reflective setae on dorsal femur, femur length 4.44, patella length 3.08, tibia length 3.44, metatarsus length 3.31, tarsus length 2.09, total length 16.36, leg I length/carapace length 2.94 (Fig. 59N–O); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 59N–O); spine count Fe D 1, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2 (proximal rubbed off), Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 59N–O); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.21, widening from proximal end to spur before narrowing again towards distal end, spur present, intermediate triangular/ digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 30 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.59, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.65, megaspine length/tibia length 0.23 (Fig. 59N– P); metatarsus relatively straight, proximal excavation present, excavation straight with inconspicuous heel, heel rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.49, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 4.34 (Fig. 59N–O, Q).

PEDIPALP (Fig. 59J–M). Tibia length 2.46, width 1.07, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.31, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.59, retrolateral face with short, thorn-like setae along retrolateral edge of depression, getting denser proximally, ventral face with two elongate bristle-like setae below depression, prolateral face with two disto-ventral spines, disto-medial spine absent (Fig. 59J–K); patella prolateral face with 2 (both rubbed off) spines (Fig. 59J–K); cymbium with scopulae present distally (Fig. 59J–K); copulatory organ total length 1.31, length/palp tibia length 0.53 (Fig. 59L–M); bulb length/width 1.00 (Fig. 59L–M); embolus tapering from bulb, attenuate, very thin, protruding laterally with strong basal curve, one strong bend, at about 0.3 of length, width at base/bulb width 0.24, embolus length/bulb length 1.71 (Fig. 59L–M).

Distribution and natural history

Aname cassowariensis sp. nov. occurs in northern Queensland, in the Wet Tropics bioregion, with specimens known from two lowland locations, a northern location near Mission Beach, and a southern location near Paluma (Fig. 9). The form of burrows constructed by spiders of this species is unknown, but is likely to be similar to that of other robertsorum -complex species (Fig. 9).