Karaops gangarie, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 22-23

Karaops gangarie sp. n. Figs 11-14Map 4

Type material.

Holotype female (QM S52315): under bark in rainforest near Amos Bay [15°41'S, 145°20'E], Queensland, Australia, 15.V.1973, V.E. Davies. Paratypes: same data as holotype, 1♂ (QM S88644); 1♀, Cooktown, 15°27'49"S, 145°15'28"E, 3.I.2009, R. Raven, under bark, rainforest (QM S88003).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Queensland: same data as holotype, 1 immature ♂ (QM).

Etymology.

The specific epithet comes from the indigenous word for Cooktown, the type locality, in the Guugu Yimithirr language.

Diagnosis.

Males can be distinguished from other species by a triangular projection directed basally coming off of the base of the embolus (Fig. 13) and females can be differentiated from others by the strongly coiled ducts and no distinctly swollen spermathecae (Fig. 12).

Description.

Female (holotype): Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks laterally; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; labium pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with femora, patellae and tibiae I–IV clearly annulated, yellow-brown, darkening distally; annulations not entirely encircling legs. Cephalothorax: setae long and thin to medium thickness; 0.84 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.21; eye diameters, AME 0.15, ALE 0.06, PME 0.21, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-ALE 0.34, PME-PLE 0.27, ALE-PLE 0.29, AME-PME 0.06; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.15, PME-PME 0.52; clypeus 0.06 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.89 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present with more than 6 teeth. Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; leg III longest; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claw lacking teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1 –1– 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, dorsal 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1-1; Mt 1-0. Abdomen:Tufts of setae on posterior end of abdomen present. Epigyne:Lateral lobes distinct posteriorly, copulatory openings nearly midway up epigynal plate, copulatory openings comma to peanut-shaped indentations, epigynal pockets absent, posterodorsal fold absent, internal ducts coiled laterally to medially 5-6 times, fertilization ducts located posteriorly (Figs 11-12). Dimensions: Total length 5.61. Cephalothorax length 2.50, width 2.99. Sternum length 1.40, width 1.57. Abdomen length 3.11, width 2.77. Pedipalp: Fm 0.77, Pt 0.57, Ti 0.46, Ta 0.80, (total) 2.60. Leg I: Fm 2.77, Pt 0.96, Mt 1.89, Ta 0.99, (total) 8.92. Leg II: Fm 3.37, Pt 1.19, Ti 2.64, Mt 2.01, Ta 0.96, (total) 10.17. Leg III: Fm 3.23, Pt 1.07, Ti 2.77, Mt 2.30, Ta 1.11, (total) 10.48. Leg IV: Fm 3.23, Pt 0.96, Ti 2.45, Mt 2.10, Ta 0.86, (total) 9.60.

Male (paratype): Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly and laterally; maxillae pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; labium pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with femora, patellae and tibiae I–IV clearly annulated, yellow-brown, darkening distally; annulations not entirely encircling legs. Cephalothorax:Setae long and thin to medium thickness; 0.83 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.15; eye diameters, AME 0.17, ALE 0.11, PME 0.23, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-ALE 0.29, PME-PLE 0.23, ALE-PLE 0.27, AME-PME 0.04; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.10, PME-PME 0.46; clypeus 0.04 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.81 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 2; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 apophyses, nearly equal in size, in lateral view, ventral apophysis curved dorsally and dorsal apophysis curved ventrally, in ventral view, both apophyses widen distally, with a small, rounded process on each end; retrolateral basal cymbial process absent; scopulae absent. Cymbium rounded in ventral view, slightly angled basally on the retrolateral side. Conductor large, pointed at tip, terminating at 4 o’clock, two flexible processes coming off of conductor; embolus arising from a wider, sinuous base, with a triangular process, base narrows abruptly and embolus begins at 6 o’clock, ending at 4 o’clock, embolus very long and slender; MA very short, unsclerotized, curved, distally rounded, with single process, directed distally, arising from base of embolus (Fig. 13). Legs:leg formula unknown due to missing legs; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsi I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claw lacking teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with weak spines. Abdomen:Possible setal tufts, but specimen is old and hairs are worn off. Dimensions: Total length 5.29. Cephalothorax length 2.40, width 2.87. Sternum length 1.73, width 1.40. Abdomen length 2.99, width 2.48. Pedipalp: Fm 0.77, Pt 0.38, Ta 0.77, (total) 2.30. Leg I: Fm 3.23, Pt 1.26, Ti 2.89, Mt 2.62, Ta 1.34, (total) 11.34. Leg II: Missing. Leg III: Missing. Leg IV: Missing.

Natural history.

This species has been collected under bark in rainforest, and under bark of Melaleuca .

Distribution.

Northeast Queensland (Map 4).