Aname robertsorum Raven, 1985

Figs 9, 61

Aname robertsorum Raven, 1985: 404, figs 24, 39, 49.

Diagnosis

Males of A. robertsorum can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. calida sp. nov., A. carina, A. cassowariensis sp. nov., A. harmoniosa sp. nov., 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. 61L–M). Males of A. robertsorum can be distinguished from those of A. calida, A. cassowariensis, and A. tropicana by the presence of a longer embolus (embolus length / bulb length>2) (Fig. 61L–M; cf. Figs 56, 59, 62). Males of A. robertsorum can be distinguished from those of A. carina by the presence of a more proximally-positioned tibial spur (distance to spur/ tibia length <0.6) (Fig. 61P; cf. Fig. 57). Males of A. robertsorum can be distinguished from A. harmoniosa by the presence of a shorter proximal excavation on metatarsus I (excavation length/ metatarsus length ~ 0.44; cf. ~ 0.55 in A. harmoniosa), and a straighter embolus (Fig. 61L–Q; cf. Fig. 60).

Females of A. robertsorum are unknown.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♂; Shiptons Flat; 15°48′ S, 145°15′ E; 16–21 Nov. 1975; R. Munroe and V.E. Davies leg.; pitfall trap, rainforest; QMB S1287.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♂; Windsor Tableland; 16°18′ S, 145°05′ E; 900 m a.s.l.; 25 Nov. 1997 – 9 Feb. 1998; G.B. Monteith and D.J. Cook leg.; pitfall trap, open forest; QMB S44717 .

Description

Male (holotype, QMB S1287)

GENERAL (Fig. 61A–Q). Body length 20.92, in moderate condition, colour faded significantly due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 61A, E–F). Carapace length 7.70, width 6.22, length/width 1.24, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.69, caput width/carapace width 0.66, carapace orange, caput slightly darker than thorax, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, moderate on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.12 (Fig. 61A, F); chelicerae red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.53 (Fig. 61A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.74, eye tubercle present (Fig. 61E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 61B, D). Abdomen length 8.39, light grey-brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 61C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 61H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 102, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 30% of maxillae length (Fig. 61C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 61C, I); sternum length/width 1.15, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges (Fig. 61G–H); posterior sigilla semi-elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.25, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.15 (Fig. 61G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 61G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 61N–Q). Leg I orange-brown, lighter on patella, tibia, distal metatarsus and tarsus, femur length 6.07, patella length 4.10, tibia length 4.57, metatarsus length 4.75, tarsus length 2.82, total length 22.31, leg I length/carapace length 2.90 (Fig. 61N–O); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 61N–O); spine count Fe D 0, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 61N–O); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.59, even width along length, spur present, intermediate triangular/digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 20 degrees, length to distal face of spur/ tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.53, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.75, megaspine length/tibia length 0.22 (Fig. 61N–P); metatarsus slightly sinuous, proximal excavation present, excavation concave with inconspicuous heel, heel rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.44, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 4.29 (Fig. 61N–O, Q).

PEDIPALP (Fig. 61J–M). Tibia length 3.15, width 1.20, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.63, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.60, 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 and a single medial spine, disto-medial spine absent (Fig. 61J–K); patella prolateral face with 2 (distal rubbed off) spines (Fig. 61J–K); cymbium with scopulae present distally (Fig. 61J–K); copulatory organ total length 1.69, length/palp tibia length 0.54 (Fig. 61L–M); bulb length/width 0.95 (Fig. 61L–M); embolus tapering from bulb, attenuate, very thin, protruding laterally with strong basal curve, one strong bend, at about 0.4 of length, slight bend before tip, width at base/bulb width 0.26, embolus length/bulb length 2.20 (Fig. 61L–M).

Distribution and natural history

Aname robertsorum occurs in northern Queensland, in the Wet Tropics bioregion. It is known from two locations, a northern location near Shiptons Flat, and a southern location in Mount Windsor National Park (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).