Aname scutitheca sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 15DFB331-1E69-48D5-8943-A0AB14FEEFBB

Figs 1, 11, 76–77

Aname collinsorum Raven, 1985 – Raven 1985 (pars): figs 12, 31, 55, 57 (illustrated female allotype QMB S1260 [100 Mile Swamp, Rosella Plains], and two females QMB S1284 [Mount Mulligan] assigned to A. collinsorum Raven, 1985, here identified as A. scutitheca sp. nov.).

Diagnosis

Males of A. scutitheca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. bifaceta sp. nov., A. occivillosa sp. nov., A. villosa, and A. warialda by a moderate to large body size (carapace length> 4.0 mm), a short tibial megaspine (megaspine length /tibia length <0.2), and three or more spines on the prolateral patellae of the pedipalp and leg I (Fig. 76A–P). Males of A. scutitheca can be distinguished from those of A. occivillosa and A. villosa by the presence of a longer asetose depression on the palp tibia (depression length / palp tibia length>0.6) (Fig. 76J–K; cf. Figs 74, 78). Males of A. scutitheca can be distinguished from those of A. bifaceta and A. warialda by the presence of a tibia I that widens from the proximal end to the base of the tibial spur when in lateral view and a relatively spiny palp tibia (Fig. 76N, P; cf. Figs 71, 81).

Females of A. scutitheca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which females are known by the presence of a large rounded extension of the posterior genital plate (“scute”) over the epigastric furrow (Fig. 77D, L).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ scutitheca ’ is an adjective formed from the Latin ‘ scutum ’, meaning ‘shield’, and ‘ theca ’, meaning ‘cover’ or ‘case ‘and alluding to the spermathecae. Combined, the epithet references the posterior extension of the epigynal plate that covers the epigastric furrow in adult females of this species.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♀; Silver Valley Road, off Kennedy Highway, W of Ravenshoe; 17°37′ S, 145°18′ E; 690 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118327.

Paratypes

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀; Silver Valley Road, off Kennedy Highway, W of Ravenshoe; 17°36′ S, 145°18′ E; 708 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118328 • 1 ♀; Silver Valley Road, off Kennedy Highway, W of Ravenshoe; 17°36′ S, 145°18′ E; 713 m a.s.l.; 12 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118332 .

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 juv.; Emerald Creek Falls, lookout track, Dinden West Forest Reserve, SE of Mareeba; 17°03′ S, 145°33′ E; 555 m a.s.l.; 1 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118320 • 1 juv.; Emerald Creek Falls, lookout track, Dinden West Forest Reserve, SE of Mareeba; 17°03′ S, 145°33′ E; 530 m a.s.l.; 1 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118321 • 1 ♂; Irvinebank; 17°27′ S, 145°09′ E; Feb. 2022; J. Meade leg.; QMB S72248 • 1 juv.; Forty Mile Scrub National Park, off Kennedy Highway; 18°03′ S, 144°52′ E; 780 m a.s.l.; 13 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118338 • 1 ♀; Undara Road, N of Undara Volcanic National Park; 18°11′ S, 144°37′ E; 754 m a.s.l.; 14 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118340 • 1 ♀; Undara Road, N of Undara Volcanic National Park; 18°11′ S, 144°37′ E; 754 m a.s.l.; 14 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118341 • 1 ♀; Rosella Plains, 100 Mile Swamp; 18°25′ S, 144°28′ E; 4–7 Nov. 1979; K. McDonald leg.; grassy open forest; QMB S1260 (allotype of Aname collinsorum Raven, 1985) .

Description

Male (QMB S722248)

GENERAL (Fig. 76A–P). Body length 23.05, in poor condition, cuticle and tissue quite damaged and fragmented, colour probably faded significantly.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 76A, E–F). Carapace length 9.33, width 8.58, length/width 1.09, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.71, caput width/carapace width 0.67, carapace red, caput slightly darker than thorax, reflective setae present, heavy on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.15 (Fig. 76A, F); chelicerae dark red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.53 (Fig. 76A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.94, eye tubercle present (Fig. 76E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 76B, D). Abdomen length 9.11, grey-brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 76C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 76H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 130, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 45% of maxillae length (Fig. 76C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 76C, I); sternum length/width 1.15, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges (Fig. 76G–H); posterior sigilla elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.21, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.22 (Fig. 76G–H); other sigilla small and lateral, medial sigilla semi-elongate, anterior sigilla round (Fig. 76G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 76N, P). Leg I red, femur length 7.20, patella length 4.85, tibia length 5.29 (Fig. 76N, P); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 76N, P); spine count Fe D 5, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 4, Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 76N, P); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.95, even width along length, spur present, digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 3 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/ TIL] 0.48, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.63, megaspine length/tibia length 0.18 (Fig. 76N, P); metatarsus slightly sinuous (Fig. 76N, P).

PEDIPALP (Fig. 76J–K). Tibia length 4.20, width 1.60, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.62, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.65, retrolateral face with consistent covering of light setae, ventral face with one spine below depression, prolateral face with patch of spines on distal half, disto-medial spine present; patella prolateral face with 3 (proximal rubbed off) spines.

Female (holotype, QMB S118327)

GENERAL (Fig. 77A–L). Body length 30.52, in good condition.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 77A, E–F). Carapace length 9.43, width 8.00, length/width 1.18, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.71, caput width/carapace width 0.71, carapace pallid, reflective setae absent or inconspicuous, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.15 (Fig. 77A, F); chelicerae orange, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.59 (Fig. 77A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.83, eye tubercle present (Fig. 77E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 77B, D). Abdomen length 15.05, dark brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 77C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 77H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 175, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 40% of maxillae length (Fig. 77C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 77C, I); sternum length/width 1.18, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges (Fig. 77G–H); posterior sigilla elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.19, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.20 (Fig. 77G–H); other sigilla small and lateral, medial sigilla semi-elongate, anterior sigilla round (Fig. 77G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 77J–K). Leg I pallid, darker on distal tarsus, femur length 7.26, patella length 4.96, tibia length 4.90, metatarsus length 4.58, tarsus length 2.86, total length 24.56, leg I length/carapace length 2.60; scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus; spine count Fe D 0, Fe PL 2, Pa PL 3, Ti PL 2, Ti RL 4 (weak), Me PL 2, Me RL 1, Ta 0; tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.09.

GENITALIA (Fig. 77D, L). Epigastric furrow extending significantly, posterior edge with rounded shape (Fig. 77D); spermathecae with one vesicle each (Fig. 77L); lateral vesicle undulating, with several distinct bends, length 1.19, lateral vesicle length/genitalia width 0.64, length/width at base 4.13, crown slightly wider than stem (Fig. 77L).

Distribution and natural history

Aname scutitheca sp. nov. has a wide distribution in northern Queensland, in the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion, from Irvinebank and Silver Valley, west to the Forty Mile Scrub and Undara Volcanic National Parks, and north to near Mareeba (Fig. 11). It constructs an open, silk-lined burrow with silk spilling out from the entrance, sometimes with a built-up mound of soil around the entrance. The burrow has a short, hidden ‘wishbone’ entrance, which, when excavated, is revealed to terminate in a distinctly thick, white sheath of silk (Fig. 11).