Knotodo nullarbor, 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 : 86-87

Knotodo nullarbor sp. nov.

Figs 69–70

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of K. shoadi sp. nov. in the shield at the base of the median apophysis ( Figs 69b, c , 70 a, c ). Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from one of the localities.

Type Material. South Australia: male holotype, Renmark , 79 km NNW, 33°31’S, 140°24’E, Casuarina woodland, pitfall, 3 May–6 Jun 1995, A. Lambie, QM S31557 .

Paratypes. South Australia: 1 ma., South Middleback Ranges , 33°14’S, 137°07’E, 4 June 1984, B. Guerin, SAM NN1998.314 ; 1 ma., South Middleback Ranges , 33°14’S, 137°07’E, 6 July 1984, B. Guerin, SAM NN1998 . nonum; 1 ma., same data as holotype but chenopod scrubland, 1–10 Mar 1995, QM S31558 ; 1 ma., “ Nullarbor ”, no further data, B. Harvey, 15 Aug 1984, MV K5454 .

Description. Male, holotype QM S31557

Carapace 3.17 long, 2.42 wide. Opisthosoma 4.50 long, 2.17 wide. Total, 7.7.

I: 2.77, 0.92, 2.23, 2.23, 1.54, 9.69. II: 2.54, 1.00, 2.07, 2.23, 1.46, 9.30. III: 2.46, 1.00, 2.00, 2.61, 1.61, 9.68. IV: 3.54, 1.15, 3.08, 3.85, 2.00, 13.62. Palp: 1.15, 0.54, 0.38, -, 1.23, 3.30.

Colour. Carapace dark brown with pallid caput and spots on posterior lateral edges. Opisthosoma dorsally pattern damaged, not discernible; venter pallid. Femora mottled forming 3 bands, patellae and tibiae also mottled.

Eyes. Group front width: back width: length, 36:43:32. Sizes: AME 8, ALE 6, PME 10, PLE 11. Interspaces: AME–AME 10, AME–AME 2, PME–PME 3, PME==PLE 5. Sternum with bush of hairs on margins but none strong.

Spines: I: fe pv1p1d3r2; pa 0; ti p2v2.2.2; me p1v2. II: fe pv1p2d3r2; pa 0; ti p2v2.2.2; me p1d1r1v2.2. III: fe p2d3r3;pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.2.1r2.1.1v2.2.1.IV:fe p4d3r2;pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.1.1r2.1.1.2v2.2.1. Palp: fe p1d1.1.2; pa p1; ti 0.

Palp: Tibia short with large RTA distobasally with dark cone broad base tapering to anvil-shaped tip separated from dorsal spike by soft tissue. Cymbium dorsally only with hair; apical cone short; lateral margins basally wide with distinct flat edge retrobasally. Median apophysis a small, twisted spike with flat tongue shaped plate over its base. Embolus fused to median apophysis, origin basal and directed basally. Tegulum in retrolateral half; subtegulum wide, ear-like.

Remarks. This species has the most symmetrical palpal cymbium of the genus.

Distribution. Known only from South Australia and possibly somewhere on the Nullarbor Plain.

Figures

FIGURE 69. Knotodo nullarbor sp. nov., a–c, male holotype, QM S31557: a, habitus, dorsal view; b, c, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia; b, ventral view; c, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 70. Knotodo nullarbor sp. nov., male, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia, scanning electron micrographs: a, ventral view; b, d, RTA, ventral (b) and retrolateral (d) views; c, e, median apophysis, ventral view (c) and retrolateral (e, showing serrate conductor) views.