Cryptoerithus melindae, Platnick & Baehr, 2006

Platnick, N. I. & Baehr, B., 2006, A Revision Of The Australasian Ground Spiders Of The Family Prodidomidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2006 (298), pp. 1-287 : 264-266

Cryptoerithus melindae , new species Figures 634–638; Map 44

TYPES: Male holotype and female allotype taken in pitfall traps at Jarrahdale Mine,

32 ° 169S, 116 ° 069E, Western Australia (male, Apr. 1998, female, Oct. 5–12, 1997; K. E. C. Brennan), deposited in WAM (male T54775, female T54776) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of Melinda Moir, the wife of Dr. Karl Brennan, who has done much ecological work at the Jarrahdale Mine.

DIAGNOSIS: Males resemble those of C. rough but have a longer retrolateral tibial apophysis (fig. 636) and a much longer terminal apophysis (fig. 635); females also resemble those of C. rough but have less twisted spermathecae (fig. 638).

MALE: Total length 3.80. Carapace 1.64 long, 1.38 wide, 0.54 high, length/width 1.19; sternum 1.16 long, 0.86 wide, length/width 1.35; abdomen 2.16 long, 1.10 wide; coxa I 0.60 long; relative length of coxae I–IV 1.00:0.90:0.66:1.07. Carapace pale yellow, with dark filigree net pattern; sternum, mouthparts, legs pale; abdomen pale gray, dorsally with weak orange scutum, epigastric area orange. Carapace weakly covered with gray, plumose setae. Eye group width 0.64 of caput width; AME 0.10; ALE 0.10; PME 0.15; PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.04; AME– ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.00; PME–PLE 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.04; eye group AME–PME 0.3; AME–AME 0.24; PME–PME 0.30. Clypeus 0.04 high. Abdomen covered with gray, plumose setae, frontally with band of bent setae, venter with two longitudinal rows of stiff, erect setae; ALS 0.37 of abdominal length, slightly separated. Tarsi I, II proventrally with band of scaled setae. Palp (figs. 634–636): cymbium retrolaterally straight; conductor originating prolaterally, long, spatulate; median apophysis about twice as long as wide, cane-shaped; terminal apophysis long, triangular, with sharp tip, prolaterally situated; sperm duct weakly sshaped; embolus long, thin, semicircular, situated prolaterally; tibia about 1.5 times as long as wide, retrolateral tibial apophysis triangular.

FEMALE: Total length 4.36. Carapace 1.56 long, 1.30 wide, 0.46 high, length/width 1.20; sternum 1.14 long, 0.84 wide, length/ width 1.36; abdomen 2.80 long, 1.20 wide; relative length of coxae I–IV 1.00:0.93: 0.70:1.07. Coloration as in male but without scutum. Eye group width 0.62 of caput width; PME 0.14; AME–AME 0.02; eye group AME–PME 0.28; AME–AME 0.22; PME– PME 0.28. Clypeus 0.02 high. ALS 0.24 of abdominal length. Epigynum (figs. 637, 638) with inverted u-shaped anterior hood, widely separated, medially directed, inverted ushaped lateral plates; epigynal ducts short, spermathecae separated by less than their diameter, oval, twisted, in horizontal position.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: None.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Western Australia (map 44).