Oxyopes elegans L. Koch, 1878

Baehr, Barbara C., Harms, Danilo, Duperre, Nadine & Raven, Robert, 2017, The Australian Lynx Spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae, Oxyopes) of the Godeffroy Collection, including the description of a new species, Evolutionary Systematics 1 (1), pp. 11-37 : 17-18

Oxyopes elegans L. Koch, 1878 Figs 6 A–E, 20C

572. Oxyopes elegans L. Koch, 1878, 1008-1010, Taf. 88 Fig. 5 + 5 a u. 6-6 b, Australien, Sydney, Rockhampton, Peak Downs, 6 Syntypen (Mus. GODEFFROY Nr. 16494) (37) ( Rack 1961).

Material examined.

Designated here: FEMALE LECTOTYPE (ZMH-A0000006), from New South Wales, Sydney, 33°51'S, 151°12'E, Godeffroy Collection; (ZMH-A0000048) 2 paralectotypes females, same as lectotype, Godeffroy Collection.

Diagnosis.

Females of Oxyopes elegans are similar to Oxyopes godeffroyi , Oxyopes mundulus and Oxyopes rubicundus in having a translucent, quadrangular scapus. They can be separated from Oxyopes mundulus by the scapus anterior corners less sclerotized and straight, and from Oxyopes godeffroyi and Oxyopes rubicundus in having copulatory ducts with 3 coils (Figs 6E, 20C). Male unknown.

Description.

Female (Lectotype, ZMH-A0000006). Total length 4.97. Prosoma 1.88 long, 1.47 wide, pl/pw 1.28; sternum 0.83 long, 0.73 wide, sl/sw 1.14; opisthosoma 3.09 long, 2.30 wide. Eight eyes in four rows with six eyes forming a hexagon, AME smallest ALE biggest, others equal in size; AME 0.08; ALE 0.16; PLE 0.13; PME 0.13; ALE–ALE 0.15; ALE–AME 0.05; AME–AME 0.11; ALE–PLE 0.16; PLE–PME 0.21; PME–PME 0.23. Clypeus 0.34 high with a pair of longitudinal thin dark brown stripes. The specimen is strongly bleached. Prosoma pale, covered with brown scales, broadly rectangular, posteriorly straight, fovea short 0.17 of prosoma length. Chelicerae paturon pale with longitudinal thin median dark stripe and lateral condyle. Endites, labium and sternum pale; opisthosoma pale. Legs pale ventrally with thin dark brown stripes. Female epigyne (Fig. 6 C–E): scapus translucent, quadrangular with sclerotized anterior border and adjacent lateral lobes, copulatory openings at the anterior part of the lateral lobes, copulatory ducts, thin, with 3 coils, ending in globular apical spermathecae situated fully anteriorly of sclerotized anterior border (Figs 6 C–E, 20C).

Distribution.

Known originally from Sydney in New South Wales. The ALA lists many additional records from southwestern Australia, the Northern Territory, coastal Queensland and Victoria that should be reviewed.

Remarks.

Koch mentions that the species seems to prefer swampy areas. This information was probably derived from Dämel’s travel reports. No notes on life colouration are given in the original description.