Cryptoerithus nyetaut, 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 : 248-252

Cryptoerithus nyetaut , new species Figures 590–594; Map 41

TYPE: Male holotype from Ormiston

Gorge, 23 ° 379S, 132 ° 439E, Northern Territo- ry (Oct. 1994; T. Churchill), deposited in QMB ( S34503 ) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

DIAGNOSIS: The two sexes have not been collected together and are tentatively matched here despite their differences in abdominal coloration. Males have a distinctly long embolus and distally widened median apophysis (fig. 591) as well as a long, rectangular retrolateral tibial apophysis (fig. 592). Females resemble those of C. quamby but have a narrower anterior epigynal margin (fig. 593).

MALE: Total length 2.92. Carapace 1.32 long, 1.20 wide, 0.58 high, length/width 1.10; sternum 0.90 long, 0.76 wide, length/width 1.18; abdomen 1.60 long, 1.02 wide; coxa I 0.56 long; relative length of coxae I–IV 1.00:0.75:0.68:1.11. Carapace pale, with dark fovea, darker triangular patch anteriorly;

sternum, mouthparts, legs pale; abdomen pale, dorsally with weak orange brown scutum, dark horizontal bands. Eye group width 0.68 of head width; AME 0.12; ALE 0.12; PME 0.20; PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.04; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.00; PME– PLE 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.02; eye group AME–

PME 0.34; AME–AME 0.28; PME–PME 0.34. Clypeus 0.08 high. Abdomen dorsally with gray plumose setae, ventrally with two longitudinal rows of stiff, erect setae; ALS 0.37 of abdominal length, about their diameter apart. Metatarsi, tarsi I, II with scopula. Palp (figs. 590–592): cymbium with dorsoapical scopula; conductor originating prolaterally, broad, semicircular; median apophysis straight, scoop-shaped, with two distal tips; terminal apophysis prolaterally situated, long, with slender, sharp tip; sperm duct weakly s-shaped; embolus thin, semicircular, originating prolaterally; retrolateral tibial apophysis long, straight, tip slightly bipartite; femur with ventral process.

FEMALE: Total length 3.24. Carapace 1.34 long, 1.28 wide, 0.42 high, length/width 1.05; sternum 0.84 long, 0.80 wide, length/ width 1.05; abdomen 1.90 long, 1.10 wide; coxa I 0.52 long; relative length of coxae I–IV 1.00:0.80:0.69:1.15. Carapace pale yellow, with marginal dark filigree net pattern; sternum, endites, labium, legs pale; chelicerae gray; abdomen gray, venter pale. Eye group width 0.62 of caput width; AME 0.11; ALE 0.10; PME 0.18; PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.04; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.00; PME– PLE 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.02; eye group AME– PME 0.32; AME–AME 0.26; PME–PME 0.30. Clypeus 0.10 high. Abdomen covered with gray, plumose setae, frontally with band of long, bent spines, venter with two longitudinal rows of stiff, erect setae; ALS 0.37 of abdominal length, about their diameter apart. Metatarsi, tarsi I, II with scopula. Epigynum (figs. 593, 594) with two small anterior lateral hood-shaped openings; epigynal ducts long, thin, irregularly curved, spermathecae widely separated, more than their diameter apart, sausage-shaped, twist- ed, in horizontal position.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Northern Territory: Connells Lagoon, Mitchell grasslands, Barkly Tablelands , 18 ° 529S, 136 ° 329E, Oct. 1995, pitfall (A. Fisher, MNT A001504 ), 1♀ ; Wonarah , 19 ° 599S, 136 ° 379E, Apr. 5–7, 1997, pitfall (R. Raven, QMB S40575 ), 1Oi .

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the Northern Territory (map 41).

Cryptoerithus nonaut , new species

Figures 595–599; Map 42

TYPE: Male holotype taken along track to Waterfall Creek, Western River Conservation Park , Kangaroo Island , 35 ° 429S, 136 ° 549E, South Australia (Nov. 3–4, 1987; D. Hirst), deposited in SAM ( N1989 /132) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

DIAGNOSIS: Males and females have not been collected together, and are from distant sites, but are matched here on their basis of their respective close similarities to C. quamby (although the coloration and leg setation differences may signal a mismatch). Males resemble those of C. quamby in having a basal apophysis on the dorsal surface of the palpal tibia (fig. 597), but differ in having an embolar denticle and a shorter tegular apophysis (fig. 596). Females resemble those of C. quamby and C. nyetaut in duct conformation, but differ in having smaller, more obliquely oriented anterior ducts (fig. 599).

MALE: Total length 3.36. Carapace 1.46 long, 1.26 wide, 0.34 high, length/width 1.16; sternum 1.00 long, 0.76 wide, length/width 1.31; abdomen 1.90 long, 1.10 wide; coxa I 0.50 long; relative length of coxae I–IV 1:0.88:0.80:1.32. Carapace cinnamon brown, with dark filigree net pattern; sternum yellow; chelicerae gray; endites, labium pale; abdomen gray, dorsally with half moonshaped pale spot in front of spinnerets, venter pale; legs cinnamon brown, with distally darkened femora, patellae, tibiae. Eye group width 0.76 of head width; AME 0.13; ALE 0.12; PME 0.2; PLE 0.10; AME– AME 0.04; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.01; PME–PLE 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.02; eye group AME–PME 0.40; AME–AME 0.36; PME–PME 0.34. Clypeus 0.10 high. Cheliceral margins without teeth. Abdomen covered with gray plumose setae; ALS 0.29 of abdominal length, about their diameter apart. Tarsi I, II proventrally with band of scaled setae. Palp (figs. 595–597): cymbium with retrobasal hook, dorsoapical scopula; conductor originating prolaterally, long, semicircular, with sharp tip; median apophysis cane-shaped, about twice as long as wide; terminal apophysis prolaterally situated, small, finger-shaped, with two basal teeth; sperm duct strongly s-shaped; embolus thin, semicircular, with embolar denticle, originating basally; retrolateral tibial apophysis triangular, with bipartite tip, dorsobasal apophysis.

FEMALE: Total length 3.04. Carapace 1.24 long, 1.12 wide, 0.46 high, length/width 1.11; sternum 0.84 long, 0.74 wide, length/ width 1.13; abdomen 1.80 long, 1.00 wide; coxa I 0.42 long; relative length of coxae I–IV 1:0.95:0.85:1.42. Carapace pale yellow, with marginal dark filigree net pattern; sternum, mouthparts, legs pale, yellow; chelicerae gray; abdomen gray, venter pale. Eye group width 0.76 of caput width; AME 0.12; ALE 0.10; PME 0.16; PLE 0.08; AME–AME 0.02; AME–ALE 0.02; PME–PME 0.00; PME– PLE 0.04; ALE–PLE 0.02; eye group AME– PME 0.30; AME–AME 0.26; PME–PME 0.30. Clypeus 0.06 high. Abdomen covered with gray, plumose setae, frontally with band of long, bent spines, venter with two longitudinal rows of stiff, erect setae; ALS 0.32 of abdominal length, about their diameter apart. Tibia I distal half, metatarsi, tarsi I, II proventrally with scopula. Epigynum (figs. 598, 599) with two small anterior lateral hood-shaped openings, longitudinal lateral plates, two posterolateral, hood-shaped grooves; epigynal ducts flat, irregularly curved, spermathecae sausage-shaped, twist- ed, in horizontal position.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: South Australia: along track to Waterfall Creek, Western River Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island , 35 ° 429S, 136 ° 549E, Nov. 3–4, 1987 (D. Hirst, SAM N1989 /132), 2Oi. Northern Territory: Mount Sanford Station , 17 ° 189S, 130 ° 469E, Oct. 1997, pitfall, clay (T. Churchill, MNT A001519 ), 1♀ ; Willeroo , 15 ° 179S, 131 ° 359E, Oct. 1997, pitfall, clay (T. Churchill, MNT A001522 ), 1♀ .

DISTRIBUTION: If the sexes are correctly matched, the species is widespread in central Australia (map 42).