Karaops ngarutjaranya, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 52-53

Karaops ngarutjaranya sp. n. Figs 61-64Map 9

Type material.

Holotype male (SAM NN10914): 8 km northeast of Mount Woodroffe, South Australia, Australia, in gorge, 26°17'S, 131°48'E, 15.X.1994, D. Hirst. Paratype: 2.5 km southwest of Womikata Bore Homeland, South Australia, Australia, 26°07'S, 132°08'E, 20.X.1994, D. Hirst, 1♀ (SAM NN10915).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the indigenous Pitjantjatjara name for Mount Woodroofe, the type locality. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males of this species can be differentiated from others by having a sinuate anterior margin of the conductor, having two branches on the MA, and a hook-shaped embolus that bisects the palpal bulb (Fig. 61). The females can also be separated from other species by having a keyhole-shaped median septum, and lateral lobes nearly touching posteriorly (Fig. 63).

Remarks.

Although the male and female specimens were not collected together (they were collected some 46 km apart), it seems reasonable to assume they are conspecific.

Description.

Male (holotype):Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with red-brown and grey markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax:setae short, stout, rodlike; 0.9 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.2; eye diameters, AME 0.15, ALE 0.09, PME 0.18, PLE 0.24; interdistances AME-ALE 0.21, PME-PLE 0.21, ALE-PLE 0.18, AME-PME 0.03; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.38, PME-PME 0.66; clypeus 0.07 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum: 0.79 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp: femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 1; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, dorsal process directed laterally, pointed at tip, blade like in ventral view, ventral process larger, flattened and subquadrangular at tip; retrolateral basal cymbial process present; cymbial scopulae absent, cymbium oval. Conductor large, sinuous along anterior margin, tip pointed, curved distally; embolus long and slender, arising from oblong base, tapering, hooked beginning at 6 o’clock, terminating at 2 o’clock; MA with quadrate to oval base with two processes, one directed laterally, one distally (Figs 61-62). Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with 1 or 2 small 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; Ti and Mt I and II with weak spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without terminal setal tufts. Dimensions: Total length 3.99. Cephalothorax length 2.20, width 2.45. Sternum length 1.10, width 1.40. Abdomen length 2.03, width 2.03. Pedipalp: Fm 0.66, Pt 0.42, Ti 0.36, Ta 0.62, (total) 2.06. Leg I: Fm 3.21, Pt 1.15, Ti 2.87, Mt 2.44, Ta 1.25, (total) 10.92. Leg II: Fm 4.21, Pt 1.25, Ti 3.55, Mt 3.01, Ta 1.38, (total) 13.40. Leg III: Fm 4.60, Pt 1.25, Ti 3.76, Mt 3.14, Ta 1.44, (total) 14.19. Leg IV: Fm 4.26, Pt 1.10, Ti 3.43, Mt 3.12, Ta 1.41, (total) 13.32.

Female (paratype):Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks medially; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with red-brown and grey markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax: setae short, stout, rodlike; 0.84 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.64; eye diameters, AME 0.18, ALE 0.14, PME 0.22, PLE 0.31; interdistances AME-ALE 0.31, PME-PLE 0.30, ALE-PLE 0.21, AME-PME 0.05; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.49, PME-PME 0.90; clypeus 0.1 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.77 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, with c. 6 teeth. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3421; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; 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; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without tufts of setae. Epigyne:lateral lobes nearly touching posteriorly, separated by keyhole-shaped median area, widening medially, anterolateral edges strongly sclerotized, copulatory openings located under these, epigynal pockets absent; internally small ducts connect to round, well-separated spermathecae, fertilization ducts located posteriorly, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 63-64). Dimensions: Total length 7.14. Cephalothorax length 2.81, width 3.33. Sternum length 1.40, width 1.83. Abdomen length 4.37, width 4.11. Pedipalp: Fm 0.99, Pt 0.56, Ti 0.58, Ta 0.90, (total) 3.03. Leg I: Fm 3.28, Pt 1.44, Ti 2.86, Mt 2.27, Ta 1.14, (total) 10.99. Leg II: Fm 4.20, Pt 1.54, Ti 3.17, Mt 2.70, ta 1.25, (total) 12.86. Leg III: Fm 4.60, Pt 1.56, Ti 3.64, Mt 3.02, Ta 1.32, (total) 14.14. Leg IV: Fm 4.29, Pt 1.33, Ti 3.28, Mt 2.88, Ta 1.23, (total) 13.01.

Natural history.

No data

Distribution.

The type locality only (Map 9).