Cavisternum noelashepherdae, Baehr & Harvey & Smith, 2010

Baehr, Barbara C., Harvey, Mark S. & Smith, Helen M., 2010, The Goblin Spiders of the New Endemic Australian Genus Cavisternum (Araneae: Oonopidae), American Museum Novitates 3684, pp. 1-40 : 34-36

Cavisternum noelashepherdae , new species

Figures 22 , 158–160 , map 3

TYPE: AUSTRALIA: Northern Territory: Male holotype from Calvert Hills Station , 49 km W of Calvert Road turnoff, 16 ° 49 9 23 0 S, 137 ° 08 9 57 0 E, 150 m (6 July–14 Sep. 2006, R. Raven, B. Baehr, A. Amey) (PBI_OON 00006104), deposited in QM (S75164) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of Noela Helene Shepherd.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of C. noelashepherdae resemble those of C. ewani , with the sternal concavity occupying most of the sternal length (fig. 22). However, males of C. noelashepherdae can be easily separated from all other species by their greatly reduced fangs (fig. 22), the endites with medially directed triangular lobes (fig. 22) and the row of stiff setae near the anterior margin of the clavate field (fig. 22).

MALE: Total length 0.99. Carapace 0.49 long, 0.37 wide; abdomen 0.50 long, 0.29 wide. Carapace, sternum, mouthparts, and abdominal scutae pale orange, legs yellow. Sternum longer than wide, median concavity occupying most of sternal length, with field of clavate setae covering about half of sternum width, median band bare, anterior margin with rectangular rim of short, stiff setae (fig. 22). Chelicerae straight, fang directed medially, reduced, tip unmodified. Endites with medially directed triangular lobes. Abdomen ovoid, epigastric scutum slightly protruding; sperm pore surrounded by circular field of pores. Cymbium-bulb complex bearing a long, medially bent embolus with a broadened basis (figs. 158–160).

FEMALE: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: This species is known only from Calvert Hills Station in northeastern Northern Territory (map 3) .

Figures

Figs. 18–25. Cavisternum species, males, sterna and chelicerae, ventral view. 18. C. hughesi (PBI_22901). 19. C. ledereri (PBI_OON 07430). 20. C. maxmoormanni (PBI_OON 06198). 21. C. mayorum (PBI_OON 06167). 22. C. noelashepherdae (PBI_OON 06104). 23. C. rochesterae (PBI_OON 07072). 24. C. toadshow (PBI_OON 06053). 25. C. waldockae (PBI_OON 05444).

Figs. 158–160. Cavisternum noelashepherdae, new species, male palp (PBI_OON 06104). 158. Prolateral view. 159. Retrolateral view. 160. Dorsal view.