Asmea akrikensis, Gray & Smith, 2008

Gray, Michael R. & Smith, Helen M., 2008, A New Subfamily of Spiders with Grate-shaped Tapeta from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Borralinae), Records of the Australian Museum 60 (1), pp. 13-44 : 40

Asmea akrikensis n.sp.

Figs 8e , 18a,b

Type material. Papua New Guinea: Western Province: HOLOTYPE:?, KS45033, SE slopes of Mt Akrik , 15 km NW of Tabubil, 5°10'S 141°09'E, 14 Nov. 1993, R.B. Lachlan, 1625 m.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from males of other species by the wide separation of the two MA processes and the RDTA almost as long as the tibia.

Description

Male (holotype). BL 6.73, CL 3.43, CW 2.65, CapW 1.47, EGW 0.98, LL 0.55, LW 0.49, SL 1.71, SW 1.47. Legs: 1423 (I: 13.14; II: 11.02 (RHS); III: 9.88; IV: 12.37); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.82. AME≥PME>ALE≥PLE. Clypeus height ca 2× AME width. Metatarsi I and II dark brown and strongly sclerotized, bowed (dorsally concave) and dorsoventrally flattened. Male palp ( Fig. 18a,b ). Distal cymbium short, coniform. Apical margin of cymbial flange strongly offset. MA processes well separated, lateral process a flattened, twisted, weakly sclerotized spine. Deep indentation between TL and embolic base. RDTA a long keel, more than three-quarters length of tibia. Tibia with 3 strong prodorsal spine-like bristles.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Recorded only from the type locality.

Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality, Mt Akrik.

Figures

Fig. 8. Distribution records: (a), Jamberoo spp.: J. johnnoblei, d; J. boydensis, h; J. actensis, p; J. australis, s. (b), Couranga spp.: C. kioloa, d; C. diehappy, h. (c), Karriella spp.: K. treenensis, N; K. walpolensis, s. (d), Elleguna spp.: E. major, n; E. minor, d. (e), Asmea spp.: A. akrikensis, p; A. hayllari, s; A. capella, h; A. mullerensis, N.

Fig. 18. Asmea akrikensis. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. Scale line 0.5 mm.