Miturgopelma alanyeni, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 13-17

Miturgopelma alanyeni sp. nov.

Figs 4–6

Diagnosis. Males of this small species differ from those of the larger sympatric M. echidna sp. nov. by the trifid apex of the median apophysis ( Fig. 4b ).

Etymology. The species epithet is in honour of the late and legendary Dr Alan Yen (20 May 1950 – 20 March 2017), dedicated invertebrate ecologist at the Museum of Victoria.

Type material. Victoria: male holotype, Little Desert , 36°35’S, 141°45’E 5–10 Nov 1978, V . Salanitri , QM S31436 .

Paratypes. Victoria: 3 ma., Little Desert , 36°35’S, 141°45’E, 5–10 Nov 1978, V. Salanitri , QM S31427 ; 1 ma., 16.8 km SSW of Murrayville , 35°25’S 141°08’E, Oct 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4803 ; 4 ma ., Central Victoria Mallee site W7, 4.5 km S of Wychitella, 36°18’S 143°36’E, 26–29 Mar 1990, J. Coventry, MV K4332 ; 2 ma., 15.2 km NW of Lascelles , 35°33’S 142°25’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4797 ; 1 ma., Central Victoria Mallee Site K 6, 7 km E of Kingower, 36°36’S 143°50’E, 15–20 Oct 1989, A.J. Coventry, MV K4316 ; 2 ma., 15.8 km NE of Lascelles , 35°16’S 142°19’E, Oct 1985, A.L. Yen, MV K4799 ; 1 ma., 9 km ESE of Hattah , 34°47’S 142°22’E, Sep 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4762 ; 3 ma., 3.7 km N of Millewa Sth Bore , 34°45’S 141°03’E, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4809 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 5, 2.8 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°39’E, Apr–May 1980, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4344 ; 2 ma., Big Desert Survey site 6, 3.3 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°51’S 141°39’E, Sep- 80, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4345 ; 2 ma., Big Desert Survey site 6, 3.3 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°51’S 141°39’E, Apr – May 1980, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4346 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 7, 5.1 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°51’S 141°38’E, Apr – May 1980, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4350 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 10, 3 km NE of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°41’E, Apr – May 1980, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4353 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 11, 4.7 km ENE of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°42’E, Mar-80, pitfall trap, J. Coventry, MV K4354 ; 2 ma., 17.5 km NE of Patchewollock , 35°15’S 142°19’E, Oct-85, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K6962 ; 1 ma., 8.1 km S of Murray Valley Hwy & Annuello Rd junction, 34°52’S 142°37’E, May-86, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K6970 ; 1 ma., 16.2 km SW of Hattah , 34°50’S 142°07’E, Oct-85, A.L. Yen., drift fence, MV K6972 1 ma., Cent. Vic. Mallee site W7, 4.5 km S of Wychitella, 36°19’S 143°36’E, 26–29 Mar 1990, J. Coventry, pitfall trap, MV K4332 ; ma., 16.8 km SSW of Murrayville , 35°25’S 141°09’E, Oct-86, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K4803 ; 2 ma., 15.2 km NW of Lascelles , 35°33’S 142°26’E, May-86, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K4797 ; ma., Central Vict. Mallee Site K 6, 7 km E of Kingower, 36°36’S 143°5’E, 15–20 Oct 1989, A.J. Coventry, pitfall trap, MV K4316 ; 2 ma., 15.8 km NE of Lascelles , 35°17’S 142°19’E, Oct-85, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K4799 ; ma., 9 km ESE of Hattah , 34°48’S 142°22’E, Sep-86, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K4762 ; 2 ma., 3.7 km N of Millewa Sth Bore , 34°45’S 141°04’E, Jun-86, A.L. Yen, pitfall traps, MV K4809 .

New South Wales: Gubatta, pitfall, D. Driscoll: 1 ma., (site 1 G), 33°38’S, 146°33’E, open forest, pitfall, 12–18 Oct 1999, QM S53650 ; 1 ma., same data but (site 3 G), 33°35’S, 146°35’E, QM S53632 ; 1 ma., same data but (site 4 G), 33°32’S, 146°31’E, spinifex, QM S53568 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 9G), 33°34’S, 146°32’E, QM S53288 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 8G), 33°35’S, 146°36’E, QM S54302 ; 3 ma., (site 3 G), 33°35’S, 146°35’E, pitfall, 12–18 Oct 1999, D. Driscoll , QM S53581 . Pulletop, pitfall, D. Driscoll: 1 ma., SDB (site 10P) , 33°56’S, 146°06’E, woodland, 12–18 Oct 1999, QM S52984 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 2P), 33°58’S, 146°04’E, spinifex, QM S53152 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 5P), 34°00’S, 146°05’E, heath plain, QM S53072 ; 2 ma., SDB (site 6P), 33°58’S, 146°03’E, spinifex, QM S53579 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 5P), 34°00’S, 146°05’E, 24–28 Feb 1999, QM S60986 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 6P), 33°58’S, 146°03’E, spinifex, 3–8 Nov 1999, QM S54301 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 6P), 33°58’S, 146°03’E, spinifex, QM S52656 .

Round Hill Nature Reserve , mallee, pitfall, D. Driscoll: 1 ma., (site 2 R), 33°03’S, 146°13’E, 19–23 Dec 1999, QM S52689 ; 2 ma., (site 2 R), 33°03’S, 146°13’E, 2–8 Nov 1999, QM S53891 .

Taleeban, pitfall, D. Driscoll: 1 ma., (site 1 T), 33°55’S, 146°28’E , heath plain, pitfall, 12–18 Oct 1999, D. Driscoll , QM S53202 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 8 T), 33°53’S, 146°28’E, QM S53213 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 2 T), 33°55’S, 146°27’E, spinifex, QM S53643 ; 1 ma., SDB (site 2 T), 33°55’S, 146°27’E, spinifex, 3–8 Nov 1999, D. Driscoll , QM S53856 ; 2 ma., SDB (site 8 T), 33°53’S, 146°28’E, road verge, pitfall, 3–10 Nov 1999, QM S54316 .

Queensland: 1 male; Rocky St. George ( CY 007 ), 16°27’4”S, 144°47’48.5”E, 426 m, 6 Sep–18 Oct 2008 ( R. Raven, QM S111003 ) .

South Australia : 3 ma., Renmark, 19 km N, 34°00’S, 140°47’E, chenopod scrubland, flight/ ground intercept trap, 28 Mar–4 May 1995, K. R. Pullen, QM S39277 ; saltbush, 8–22 Nov 1995, A. Lambie, K. R. Pullen, QM S35774 ; 4 ma., same data but 31 km NW, 33°59’S, 140°30’E, mallee, 30 Mar–2 May 1995, K. R. Pullen, QM S35775 ; 1 ma., Ferries McDonald CP, 35°14’S 139°08’E, 11–12 Nov. 1987, D. Hirst, vibration, SAM NN1998.63 ; 1 ma., Murray Mallee, Brookfield CP, 34°22’S, 139°30’E, early 1990, T. A. Morley, SAM NN1998.292 ; 1 ma., Kangaroo Island , Riverdale, 35°58’37”S, 136°51’36”E, 9–15 Mar. 1995, D. Hirst, SAM NN1998.464 ; 2 ma., Eyre Peninsula , Franklin Is, 32°27’S, 133°40”E, May 1985, B. Guerin, SAM NN1998.98 - 99 ; 1 ma., Kangaroo Island , Kelly Hill CP, caves area 35°59’S 136°54’E, 9–10 Nov 1987, D. Hirst, SAM NN1998.232 - 3 ; 1 ma., Franklin Is , 32°27’S 133°39’E, 17–18 May 1988, D. Hirst, SAM NN1998.55 .

Description. Male, holotype QM S31436.

Carapace 1.98 long, 1.45 wide. Opisthosoma 2.32 long, 1.18 wide. Total, 4.3.

I: 2.80, 1.07, 2.34, 2.34, 1.67, 10.22. II: 2.39, 0.87, 2.08, 2.22, 1.65, 9.21. III: 2.60, 0.80, 2.34, 2.60, 1.60, 9.94. IV: 3.34, 0.94, 2.67, 3.34, 1.87, 12.16. Palp:, 1.00, 0.47, 0.40, -, 1.13, 3.00.

Colour: carapace yellow brown with dark pattern edging around strial edges distally, along back caput margin and up to PLE. Opisthosoma dorsally gray, medially with central undulating bands edged in black, becomes wider at mid-opisthosoma length and breaks into narrow transverse dark bands interleaved with lighter bands, effect is dorsally 3 large triangular cream paired areas joined in front and behind to each other and a pair of large cream spots with white hair tufts in posterior quarter of opisthosoma; venter pallid with 20–30 light dark gray dots, darkest spots lateral and posterior.

Carapace: lightly setose. Eyes: 2 strongly recurved rows; from above almost in 4 rows—front edge of ALE in base of back edge of AME, likewise in back row. All eyes of similar size but ALE smallest. PLE behind ALE and look sideways and up. Group front width: back width: length, 30:36:25. AME: ALE: PME: PLE, 7: 5: 7: 7. Interspaces: AME–AME, 5; AME–ALE, 2; PME–PME, 3, PME–PLE, 5.

Legs: with dense pile of hair. Scopula: thin, bipartite for 2/3–3/4 of metatarsi I, II; distal clusters on III, IV; denser but still thin on tarsi I–IV, extends just beyond tip as pseudotufts. Claws with 4–6 long teeth.

Spines. I: fe pv1p1d4r3; pa 0; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p1r1v2.2. II: fe pv1p2d3r3; pa 0; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p2r1v2.2. III: fe p4d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p2.2.1r2.2v2.2.2.1. IV: fe p3d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.1.1.2r2.1.1v2.2.1. Palp: fe p1d1.1.2; pa p1d1 (including 1 apical); ti p3d1.

Palp: tibia proventral edge with deep, distal invagination. RTA large fist-like from below with rounded apex opposed by narrow triangular dorsal process separated from each other by shallow less sclerotised trough; with small tear-shaped glabrous depression on retrodorsal base opposite RTA, 8–10 long blunt thick setae over dorsal mixed with shorter hair but no scopula. Cymbium leaf-shaped asymmetrical, wider prolaterally; margins all narrow; apical cone pointed but short; probable narrow groove on retromargin. Median apophysis short, apical with two short hooked points and one triangular one retrolateral of them. Embolus origin wide, U-shaped in prodistal half tapering quickly to end behind median apophysis in large pallid but amorphous apical conductor. Tegulum large, gourd-shaped, retrolateral; subtegulum G-shaped from back of median apophysis to base. Spinnerets: contracted; both PLS and ALS long cylinders; PLS ca. 1/2 diameter of ALS.

Distribution. Known from Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Miturgopelma alanyeni sp. nov., holotype: a, habitus; b–d, male palp: b, median apophysis, ventral view; c, retrolateral view; d, ventral view.

FIGURE 5. Miturgopelma alanyeni sp. nov., scanning electron micrographs: male palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, median apophysis, ventral view; c, d, RTA, ventral (c) and retrolateral (d) views.

FIGURE 6. Miturgopelma alanyeni sp. nov., male palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb: a, ventral view; b, tibia and RTA, dorsal view; c, retrolateral view.