Teyl harveyi, Main, 2004

Main, Barbara York, 2004, Biosystematics of Australian mygalomorph spiders: descriptions of three new species of Teyl from Victoria (Araneae: Nemesiidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61 (1), pp. 47-55 : 48-50

Teyl harveyi sp. nov.

Figures 1–9 , table 1

Material examined. Holotype, male, Victoria, 24.9 km SE of Murrayville , 35˚24'S, 141˚24'E (site 79), drift fence pitfall trap, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen ( NMV T-3011) . Paratype, male, Victoria, 20.3 km SE of Murrayville 35˚24'S, 141˚20'E (site 76), drift fence pitfall, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen ( NMV T-3012) .

F P T MT T Total

I 2.8 1.8 2.2 2.1 1.4 10.3 II 2.5 1.3 2.0 2.0 1.0 8.8 III 2.2 1.2 1.6 2.1 1.3 8.4 IV 3.0 1.3 2.7 2.8 1.7 11.5 Palp 1.8 1.1 1.3 – 1.1 5.3

Width of patella I at knee = 0.4. Tibial index =10.00.

Width of patella IV at knee = 0.4. Tibial index = 10.00.

Leg formulae: 4/3.7, 1/3.32, 2/2.83, 3/2.7.

Diagnosis. Male. Light tan brown, glabrous carapace with sparse and delicate posterolateral spines. Abdomen with dorsal dark reticulated pattern, ventrally yellow with a few speckles anterior to spinnerets. Retrolateral spines of palp tibia: 1 heavy apical, 2 heavy proximal and 2 long, tapering spines on retroventral margin. A group of heavy apical, dorsal spines on palp tarsus. Embolus tapering. Metatarsus I with pair of thin apical ventral spines, moderate “elbow”. Tibia I with spines on all faces; a line of 4 megaspines on retroventral angle.

The group of dorsal apical spines on palp tarsus distinguishes the species from T. luculentus and the other two species ( T. walkeri and T. yeni ) described here; the presence of a pair of ventral apical spines on metatarsus I further distiguishes it from T. walkeri which lacks spines and yeni which has additionally several prolaterodorsal spines.

Female. Unknown.

Description of male (holotype). Carapace glabrous, light tan brown with darker margin and dark radial lines; abdomen with dorsal pattern of dark, mottled reticulations, venter pale yellowish with a few dark speckles in front of spinnerets. Carapace with few marginal spines, all delicate, median lateral group and posterior marginal group. Fovea straight. Carapace length 3.1, width 2.6mm; abdomen length 3.7, width 2.3. Eye group on mound 0.5 long; eye group 0.3 mm long, 0.7 wide; diameters of eyes: ALE 0.2, AME 0.2, PLE 0.15, PME 0.5. Sternum slightly convex, length 1.9, width 1.6; evenly covered with fine bristles; sigilla small, faint, submarginal; labium length 0.3. Chelicerae with pseudorastellum of about 8 thick spines on apical inner edge of paturon; groove with 8 promarginal teeth, proximal two large and separated by a gap from others; a few basal granular teeth on retromargin. Maxillae with 33 cuspules on right maxilla; about 30 on left, some damaged.

Legs with scopula on tarsi I and II (thin on II), and distal half of metatarsi I and II. Tarsal claws with double combs of superior claws with about 15, fine, close-set teeth decreasing in size proximally; median claw long and curved. Spination of legs – I, femur d 6, patella rv 1, tibia rv 3 megaspines on slight mounds in a line followed by 1 heavy proximal spine, r 1-1, v 2-2, pv 1-1-1, metatarsus pv 1 apical, rv 1 apical, tarsus 0. II, femur d 6, patella 0, tibia v 1-2-2, pd 1-1, metatarsus v 2-2, pd 1-1. III, femur d 6, patella pd 1-1, tibia v 2-2-4, pd 1-1, rd 1-1, metatarsus v 2-2-3, pd 1-1-1, rd 1-1-1, tarsus 0. IV, femur d 6, patella, pd 1 apical, rd 1, tibia v 2-2-3, pd 1-1-1, rd 1-1-1, metatarsus v 2-1-2-3, pd 1-1-1, rd 1-1-1, tarsus 0.

Palp (Left palp missing). Tarsus with apical group of about 10 thick spines. Tibia with 2 heavy terminally hooked and 2 long thin proximal retrolateral spines, prolaterally with 2 tapering heavy apical spines and 1 finer spine. Bulb spherical but viewed dorsally, gourd shaped with embolus arising at sharp angle (reflexed); embolus finely tapering.

Variation. Paratype carapace length 3.0, width 2.5.

Etymology. The species is named as a tribute to M. S. Harvey for his vast contribution to arachnology.

Figures

Figures 1–9. Teyl harveyi sp. nov. Holotype, male. 1, dorsal view, carapace, chelicerae and abdomen; 2, sternal area; 3, eye group; 4, apical region left chelicera; 5, right leg I, retrolateral view tarsus, metatarsus and tibia; 6, right leg I, tibia and metatarsus (ventral aspect of tibia); 7, tarsus and tibia of right palp, retrolateral; 8, tarsus and tibia of right palp, prolateral; 9, right palp tarsus and palpal organ, dorsal. Scale = 1.0 mm. (figs 1, 2, 5, 6, 9); 0.5 mm. (figs 3, 7, 8).