Karaops feedtime, Crews, Sarah C., 2013

Crews, Sarah C., 2013, Thirteen new species of the spider genus Karaops (Araneae: Selenopidae) from Western Australia, Zootaxa 3647 (3), pp. 443-469 : 454-455

Karaops feedtime sp. nov.

( Figs 13–14 , 37 )

Type material. Holotype: female, 115 km NNW of Newman [22˚19’4.32” S 119˚44’51.27” E, Western Australia, Australia], 24 March–28 April 2011, Phoenix Environmental Sciences, wet pitfall, (WAM T 111456).

Etymology. This species is named after the Australian band feedtime . It is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Females of K. feedtime sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species using characters of the epigyne. Ventrally, there is a large median lobe, and dorsally, the ducts are long and narrow, curving multiple times ( Figs 13–14 ). Whereas convoluted ducts are also found in K. forteyi sp. nov., a median lobe is absent ( Fig. 15 ). Males are unknown.

Description. Female (holotype):

Colour. Dorsal shield of prosoma yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks laterally; sternum pale yellow; chelicerae yellow-brown with darker infuscations anteriorly and laterally; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown, lightening distally; opisthosoma dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with segments clearly annulated, but annulations do not completely encircle femora, legs darkening distally; annulations lighter in centres.

Prosoma. 0.81 times longer than broad; clypeus 0.13 high.

Eyes. PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.42; eye diameters, AME 0.16, ALE 0.13, PME 0.23, PLE 0.36; interdistances AME-ALE 0.34, PME-PLE 0.30, ALE-PLE 0.27, AME-PME 0.04; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.16, PME-PME 0.48.

Sternum. 0.88 times longer than broad.

Chelicerae. Promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth.

Female pedipalp. Claws with less than 6 teeth.

Epigyne ( Fig. 13 ). Lateral lobes distinct; large median lobe, slightly diamond-shaped, truncated and lightly sclerotised posteriorly; small copulatory openings located laterally at widest part of median lobe.

Vulva ( Fig. 14 ). Copulatory ducts narrow, somewhat asymmetrical, curving anteriorly, then anterodorsally, then posteromedially; two pairs of small spermathecae; one pair located between copulatory openings and where ducts begin to curve posteriorly; the second pair located after ducts curve posteriorly toward epigynal margin; crescent-shaped fertilsation ducts directed anterolaterally.

Opisthosoma. Without caudal setal tufts.

Legs. Leg I only slightly shorter than legs II and IV (Leg III missing); leg formula unknown (at least one leg missing); leg II longest; tarsal claws without 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 -2-2; leg II, Fm pr 0-0-1, d 1-1-1, rl 0; Ti v 2-2 -2-2-2; Mt v 2-2 -2-2; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1-1-1, rl 0; Ti v 1-1; Mt 0.

Measurements. Total length 7.21. Dorsal shield of prosoma length 2.82, width 3.50. Sternum length 1.45, width 1.64. Opisthosoma length 4.39, width 3.76. Pedipalp: Fm 0.84, Pt 0.52, Ti 0.55, Ta 0.84, (total) 2.75. Leg I: Fm 2.93, Pt 1.27, Ti 2.64, Mt 2.29, Ta 1.07, (total) 10.20. Leg II: Fm 3.61, Pt 1.34, Ti 2.89, Mt 2.54, Ta 1.18, (total) 11.56. Leg III: Absent. Leg IV: Fm 3.46, Pt 1.09, Ti 2.86, Mt 2.57, Ta 1.16, (total) 11.14.

Distribution. This species is known only from the type locality ( Fig. 37 ).

Life history and habitat preferences. Unknown.

Remarks. Prosoma damaged, so measurements of the dorsal shield of the prosoma and the eyes may not be exact.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Map of Australia. Inset A showing the Pilbara region of Western Australia with the records of Karaops nyiyaparli sp. nov. (black squares), Karaops banyjima sp. nov. (black hexagon), Karaops nyamal sp. nov. (black triangle), Karaops feedtime sp. nov. (white diamond), Karaops kariyarra sp. nov. (white stars), Karaops nyangumarta sp. nov. (white Xs), Karaops yurlburr sp. nov. (white triangle), Karaops ngarluma sp. nov. (black stars), Karaops yindjibarndi sp. nov. (black diamond), Karaops jaburrara sp. nov. (black X), Karaops forteyi sp. nov. (white rhomboids), Karaops burbidgei (white square), Karaops martamarta (white circles); Inset B showing the records of Karaops umiida sp. nov. (black circles); Inset C showing eastern Western Australia and western Northern Territory with the records of Karaops yumbu sp. nov. (white hexagon).

FIGURES 9 – 14. Karaops yurlburr sp. nov. 9 epigyne; 10 vulva; 11 – 12 left pedipalp (11 ventral, 12 retrolateral view). Karaops feedtime sp. nov. 13 epigyne; 14 vulva. Scales: 0.50 mm.

FIGURES 15 - 22. Karaops forteyi sp. nov. 15 epigyne; 16 vulva; 17 – 18 left pedipalp (17 ventral, 18 retrolateral view). Karaops yindjibarndi sp. nov. 19 – 20 left pedipalp (19 ventral, 20 retrolateral view). Karaops jaburrara sp. nov. 21 – 22 left pedipalp (21 ventral, 22 retrolateral view). Scales: 0.50 mm.