Myrmarachne luctuosa, (L. KOCH, 1879)

Tripathi, Rishikesh, Jose, Athira, Nafin, Karunnappilli Shamsudheen, Babu, Nishi & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu, 2017, Revision of eastern Australian ant-mimicking spiders of the genus Myrmarachne (Araneae, Salticidae) reveals a complex of species and forms, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 179 (3), pp. 642-676 : 654-657

MYRMARACHNE LUCTUOSA (L. KOCH, 1879)

Leptorchestes luctuosus L. Koch, 1879: 1065 ; pl. 93, fig. 7 (D ♂).

Myrmarachne luctuosa Simon (1901): 525 .

Leptorchestes simoni L. Koch, 1879: 1061 ; pl. 93, fig. 5 (D ♀) – syn. nov.

Myrmarachne simoni Simon (1901): 525 .

Leptorchestes cognatus L. Koch, 1879: 1063 ; pl. 93, fig. 6 (Dj) – syn. nov.

Leptorchestes cognatus Hogg (1900): 77 .

Myrmarachne cognata Simon (1901): 525 .

Leptorchestes cognatus Rainbow (1911): 283 .

Myrmarachne aurea Ceccarelli, 2010: 248 ; figs 10 – 18 – forma aurea .

‘ Myrmarachne spp. ’ Davies & Zabka _ (1989): 203; fig. 10 – drawings of ♀ only (habitus, palp, epigyne, and vulva).

Type material

Australia. QLD: 1♂ holotype, 1♂ syntype ( ZMH, 16511) (Daemel) Rockhampton, unter Rinden (23 ° 38 0 S, 150 ° 50 0 E) ; 1♀ holotype of M. simoni ( ZMH, 16509) (Daemel) Rockhampton, unter Laub (23 ° 38 0 S, 150 ° 50 0 E) ; 1♂ holotype, forma aurea ( AMS, KS93119 , as designated by Ceccarelli 2010) (16 November 2005; F.S. Ceccarelli) Townsville (19 ° 19 0 40 ″ S, 146 ° 45 0 33 ″ E) . 2♀♀ paratypes, forma aurea ( AMS, KS56467 , as designated by Ceccarelli 2010) (7 May 1998; G. Milledge) Kenilworth state forest (26 ° 37 0 20 ″ S, 152 ° 44 0 28 ″ E) ; 1♂ paratype forma aurea ( QMB, S73293 , designated by Ceccarelli 2010) (29 May 1993; B.M. Baehr) Marchy Creek , Musgrave (14 ° 46 0 41 ″ S, 143 ° 29 0 32 ″ E) . NSW: 1 juv. holotype of M. cognata ( ZMH, 16510) (Daemel) Sydney, unter Laub (33 ° 84 0 S, 151 ° 5 0 E) .

Material examined

Australia. Forma aeneopilosa: NSW : 2♂♂, 3 juv. ( MUB) (31 January 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek ar �) North Ryde , Macquarie University Campus (33 ° 46 0 22.38 ″ S, 151 ° 6 0 51.056 ″ E) . 3♂♂, 4 juv. ( MUB) (4 February 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek ar �) same locality ; 13♂♂, 4♀♀ ( MUB) (13 February 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek � ar) same locality ; 17♂♂, 12♀♀, 2 juv. ( MUB) (24 February 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek ar �) same locality ; 1♂ ( MUB) (9 July 2014; S. Pek � ar) Macquarie Port, Glebe city park (31 ° 26 0 2.04 ″ S, 152 ° 54 0 32.068 ″ E) ; 1 juv. ( AMS, KS.5752) (29 April 1967; R. E. Mascord) West Pennant Hills (33 ° 45 0 S, 151 ° 02 0 E) ; 1♀, 3 juv. ( AMS, KS.5753) (28 December 1965; R. E. Mascord) Howes Valley (32 ° 51 0 S, 150 ° 51 0 E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.10423) (13 January 1982; R. Mascord) Armidale (30 ° 31 0 S, 151 ° 40 0 E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5744) (September 1923; E.P. Ramsay) Enfield (33 ° 53 0 S, 151 ° 06 0 E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5745) (1904; E.P. Ramsay) same locality ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5746) (19 September 1923; E.P. Ramsay) Sydney (33 ° 52 0 S, 151 ° 13 0 E) ; 1♀ ( AMS, KS.5747) (24 October 1901; W. Wiburd) Jenolan Caves (33 ° 49 0 18 ″ S, 150 ° 01 0 20 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.106417) (25 November 2008; G.A. Milledge, H.M. Smith) Mount Kaputar National Park , Bullawa Creek picnic area (30 ° 14 0 01 ″ S, 150 ° 06 0 42 ″ E) ; 1♂, 1♀ ( AMS, KS.62909) (1 January 2000; G. Milledge, H. Smith) ~ 100 m N of The Drip car park, Goulburn River, north-east of Ulan (32 ° 13 0 S, 149 ° 47 0 E) ; 1♂, 1♀ ( AMS, KS.81937) (30 October 2002; M. Gray) Currabene State Forest (34 ° 57 0 S, 150 ° 40 0 E) ; 1♀ ( AMS, KS.94558) (21 February 2006; G.A. Milledge, J. Tarnawski, M. Beatson) Wolgan State Forest , Newnes Road (33 ° 16 0 56 ″ S, 150 ° 07 0 04 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.42801) (4 February 1993; M. R. Gray, G.A. Cassis) Conglomerate State Forest , 100 m southwest of junction of Hallgraths Trail & Sherwood Rd. (30 ° 07 0 00 ″ S, 153 ° 03 0 14 ″ E). SA : 1♂ ( AMS, KS.10543) (14 December 1980; A.D. Austin) 5 km south of Mylor (35 ° 03 0 S, 138 ° 46 0 E) . VIC: 1♀ ( QMB, S73288 ) (10 – 22 October 1972; B. Baehr) Melbourne (37 ° 45 0 29.9 ″ S, 144 ° 56 0 52.0 ″ E). ACT : 1♀ ( QMB, S100119 ) (22 March 2014; I. Macaulay) Canberra (35 ° 13 0 43 ″ S, 149 ° 07 0 50 ″ E) .

Forma aurea : QLD: 2♂♂, 1♀ ( MUB) (27 March 2014; G. Corcobado) Townsville, James Cook University Campus (19 ° 19 0 46.525 ″ S, 146 ° 45 0 39.265 ″ E) ; 1 juv. ( QMB, S100121 ) (13 February 2013; I. Macaulay) same locality (19 ° 24 0 28.32 ″ S, 146 ° 44 0 3.53 E) ; 2 juv. ( MUB) (12 July 2014; S. Pek ar �) Duranbah, Tropical Fruit World (28 ° 17 0 6.583 ″ S, 153 ° 31 0 42.729 ″ E) ; 5♀♀, 2 juv. ( MUB) (18 July 2014; S. Pekar �) Marchoochydore , park along river (26 ° 38 0 39.563 ″ S, 153 ° 4 0 47.125 ″ E) ; 3 juv. ( MUB) (12 July 2014; S. Pekar �) Tweed Heads , historical site (28 ° 11 0 44.059 ″ S, 153 ° 32 0 53.797 ″ E) ; 8 juv. ( MUB) (16 July 2014; S. Pek � ar) Agnes Water , park (24 ° 12 0 38.02 ″ S, 151 ° 54 0 18.432 ″ E) ; 2♂♂, 2♀♀, 5 juv. ( MUB) (17 July 2014; S. Pek � ar) along the road between Gin Gin and Miriam Vale (24 ° 26 0 18.92 ″ S, 151 ° 33 0 44.719 ″ E) ; 1♂, 1 juv. ( MUB) (14 July 2014; S. Pek ar �) Hervey Bay , Scarness, town park (25 ° 17 0 19.324 ″ S, 152 ° 51 0 34.513 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( MUB) (18 August 2013; S. Korenko) Brisbane, Gaythorn (27 ° 25 0 27 ″ S, 152 ° 58 0 24 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5754) (26 September 1977; R. E. Mascord) Marcheeba (17 ° 00 0 S, 145 ° 26 0 E) ; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.118940) (23 January 1998; N. Power) Brisbane Forest Park (27 ° 25 0 04 ″ S, 152 ° 49 0 48 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( AMS, KS.118957) (23 January 1998; N. Power) same locality ; 1♀ ( AMS, KS.69414) (4 October 1997; N. Power) same locality ; 1♀ ( AMS, KS.69568) (11 March 1998; N. Power) same locality ; 1♂, 1♀ ( AMS, KS.68533) (3 August 1969; H. Heathwole) Great Barrier Reef , Penrith Island (21 ° 01 0 S, 149 ° 54 0 E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S73679 ) (11 November 2003) Boondall Wetlands (27 ° 20 0 12.588 ″ S, 153 ° 4 0 16.32 ″ E) ; 1♂, 1♀, 1 juv. ( QMB, S69853 ) (10 February 2005; J. Warden) Carbalah , Toowoomba (27 ° 27 0 37.3 ″ S, 151 ° 50 0 36.5 ″ E) ; 1♂, 1♀ ( QMB, S73682 ) (3 November 2003; C. Burwell, S. Wright, E.S. Volschenk) Bulimba Creek , Carindale, forest red-gum woodland (27 ° 30 0 5.4 ″ S, 153 ° 6 0 20.52 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S62701 ) (22 April 2003; C. Burwell, S. Wright, E.S. Volschenk) same locality ; 1♂, 1♀ ( QMB, S402 ) Prince of Wales I (10 ° 40 0 59.988 ″ S, 142 ° 9 0 E) ; 1F ( QMB, S72 ) (15 October 1976; R. Kohout) Croydon, Alehvale Homestead , open eucalypt forest (18 ° 19 0 0.012 ″ S, 142 ° 21 0 E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S41421 ) (14 February 1987; R. Stevens) Durack , Brisbane (25 ° 7 0 0.012 ″ S, 142 ° 34 0 59.88 ″ E) ; 4♀, 2 juv. ( QMB, S41395 ) (December 1971 – January 1972; N. Clyde) Davies Creek (16 ° 55 0 0.012 ″ S, 145 ° 31 0 59.88 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( QMB, S407 ) Shipton’s Flat (15 ° 48 0 S, 145 ° 15 0 E) ; 1♂ ( QMB, S79341 ) (19 – 28 January 2009; BAAM) Redland, Hilliards Creek , near Weippin Rd, heath & scribbly gum (27 ° 32 0 4.02 ″ S, 153 ° 14 0 30.48 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S79308 ) (19 January 2009; BAAM) same locality ; 1♂ ( QMB, S49612 ) (25 March – 1 May 1993; G. Monteith) Corella Dam , 50 km west of Cloncurry (20 ° 49 0 42.8 ″ S, 140 ° 02 0 31.5 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S51780 ) (22 October 1994 – 2 February 1995; G. Monteith, H. Januaryetzki) Stony Creek via Samford, rainforest (27 ° 21 0 54.5 ″ S, 152 ° 52 0 05.1 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( QMB, S100136 ) (30 October 2014; I. Macaulay) Tin Can Bay (25 ° 54 0 59 ″ S, 152 ° 59 0 27 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( QMB, S100157 ) (27 March 2013; I. Macaulay) Barron Gorge National Park , car park (16 ° 50 0 11.40 ″ S, 145 ° 38 0 35.59 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S100122 ) (5 November 2012; I. Macaulay) Poona Point , near Marchyborough (25 ° 35 0 01 ″ S, 152 ° 52 0 15 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( CRW) (23 March 2013; I. Macaulay) Charters Towers, Lissner (20 ° 4 0 18.24 ″ S, 146 ° 15 0 38.76 ″ E) ; 1♀ ( MUB) (2 December 2013; I. Macaulay) Dimbulah (17 ° 8 0 56.45 ″ S, 145 ° 6 0 22.92 ″ E) ; 1♂ ( CRW) (9 February 2013; I. Macaulay) Torrens Creek (20 ° 46 0 13.00 ″ S, 145 ° 1 0 9.80 ″ E) .

Etymology

The forma names are derived either from ant species they imitate (see Natural history) or from a former species name.

Diagnosis

This species is most similar to M. erythrocephala . It can be differentiated from M. erythrocephala by a compact yellow patch on dorsum of abdomen and absence of lateral white stripes on abdomen. Males can be further recognized by wider chelicerae, wide palpal Ti, sinusoid RTA, and bent embolus. Females can be recognized by circular atria. This species is not diagnosable using DNA data (see below).

Description (forma aeneopilosa)

Male: Measurements (N = 10): total body length 6.5 mm (5.1 – 8.4 mm), carapace length 2.8 mm (2.3 – 3.5), carapace width 1.5 mm (1.2 – 1.9 mm), chelicera length 1.2 mm (0.9 – 1.8 mm), abdomen length 3.0 mm (2.3 – 3.6 mm), PTB = 0.47. Colour: overall body colour dark-brown to black; dorsal chelicerae and cephalic part of carapace reticulated with metallic shine, thoracic part dark-brown to black; clypeus with white hairs, carapace covered with sparse white hairs giving whitish appearance in live specimen; endites and palps brown, labium and sternum dark-brown, legs dark-brown to black except for Cx I, II, and IV, Pt IV, and Tr IV, pale, Pt I, Ta II, Ti I, and Tr II, pale with longitudinal dark-brown to black lateral and retrolateral stripes; abdomen black, dorsally with a large yellow patch over posterior two-thirds; anterior dorsal part covered with sparse hairs with dense white hairs further towards rear, giving the appearance of a whitish stripe in live specimens. Morphology: chelicera small, slightly protruding anteriorly with a lateral protuberance; fang semicircular, with between three and five teeth on prolateral margin, and five or six teeth on retrolateral margin of chelicerae ( Fig. 7E, F ); prosoma elongate ( Fig. 7A ), cephalic part of carapace dorsally flat, separated from thoracic part by a shallow constriction, cephalic part as high as thoracic part ( Fig. 7B ); leg spines: Ti I with three ventral pairs, Mt I, II, III, and Ti II each with two ventral pairs; abdomen elongate, without constriction; palpal cymbium oval with two apical spines, tegulum large and round; embolus coiled twice, tip of embolus bent ( Figs 2G, 7G ); RTA slightly sinusoid, flange of RTA with a protuberance ( Figs 2H, 7H ).

Female: Measurements (N = 8): total body length 7.1 mm (5.5 – 8.6 mm), carapace length 2.9 mm (2.6 – 3.1 mm), carapace width 1.4 mm (1.3 – 1.6 mm), chelicera length 0.9 mm (0.8 – 1.0 mm), abdomen length 3.5 mm (2.7 – 4.3 mm). Colour (forma aeneopilosa; Fig. S1H ): as in male, but palps with metallic shine dorsally. Morphology: as in male, but chelicerae smaller ( Fig. 7C, D ), with three or four teeth on prolateral and five or six teeth on retrolateral margin; palpal Ti and Ta dorsoventrally flattened; epigyne with two large nearly circular whitish atria separated by a septum, with the atria three times wider than the septum ( Figs 3D , 7I ); median pocket below septum, the upper rim of the pocket far below the lower rim of the atria; vulva with two small spherical spermathecae situated just above the atria, copulatory ducts not twisted ( Fig. 7J ).

Variation

The forms differ significantly in size in most parameters ( ANOVA, P <0.02). Measurements of forma aurea are as follows. Male (N = 7): total body length 4.7 mm (4.0 – 5.6 mm), carapace length 2.4 (1.9, 2.6 mm), carapace width 1.3 mm (1.1 – 1.5 mm), abdomen length 2.3 mm (2.0 – 2.7 mm), chelicera length 0.9 mm (0.7 – 1.1 mm). Female (N = 7): total body length 6.1 mm (5.1 – 7.1 mm), carapace length 2.6 mm (2.2 – 2.8 mm), carapace width 1.3 mm (1.2 – 1.4 mm), abdomen length 3.1 mm (2.5 – 3.6 mm), chelicera length 0.7 mm (0.5 – 0.9 mm).

Both sexes of forma aurea have similar coloration ( Fig. S1I ). Unlike the forma aeneopilosa, it has a carapace with denser whitish hairs that in live specimens make a transverse stripe at the constriction. Ti III with a dorsal white stripe. Abdomen with a denser cover or white hairs in front of large golden patch ( Fig. 8A, B ).

Natural history

The species was found under the bark of gum trees and foraging on tree trunks on sunny days. Forma aeneopilosa occurs in the vicinity of the ants Camponotus aeneopilosus Mayr, 1862 or Polyrhachis ammon (Fabricius, 1775) , which it imitates. Forma aurea occurs in the vicinity of various ‘golden’ Polyrhachis ants that it imitates.

Distribution

Australia: NSW, SA, CT, VIC (forma aeneopilosa), and QLD (forma aurea ) ( Fig. 4D ).

Remarks

Myrmarachne cognata was described from a juvenile individual. The colour pattern most closely matches that of juvenile M. luctuosa , of which we consider it a junior synonym. Hogg (1900) lists this species among spiders of Victoria; however, the identify of the specimen cannot be verified. The holotype of M. simoni is a female specimen, lacking colour, the epigyne of which indicates it is a female of M. luctuosa . The type series of M. simoni claims to include two specimens; however, only a single specimen was found. Drawings of Davies & Zabka _ (1989) correspond clearly to M. luctuosa f. aurea . It was erroneously combined with a male of another species, M. bicolor .

Figures

Figure 1. Myrmarachne bicolor: A, right male chelicera, dorsal view; B, left male chelicera, ventral view; C, left male palp, ventral view; D, male palpal tibia, dorsal view; E, epigyne, ventral view; F, vulva. Scale barss: 0.2 mm.

Figure 3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of females: A, Myrmarachne bicolor, epigyne, ventral view; B, Myrmarachne erythrocephala f. erato, epigyne, ventral view; C, Myrmarachne helensmithae sp. nov., epigyne, ventral view; D, Myrmarachne luctuosa f. aeneopilosa, epigyne, ventral view; E, Myrmarachne macleayana f. robsoni, epigyne, ventral view.

Figure 4. Maps of distribution: A, Myrmarachne bicolor; B, Myrmarachne erythrocephala; C, Myrmarachne helensmithae sp. nov.; D, Myrmarachne luctuosa; E, Myrmarachne lupata; Myrmarachne milledgei sp. nov.; F, Myrmarachne macaulayi sp. nov.; G, Myrmarachne macleayana; H, Myrmarachne smaragdina; I, Myrmarachne striatipes; J, Myrmarachne zabkai sp. nov. The size of the points is scaled according to abundance: 1–3 individuals (small); 4–10 individuals (medium);> 10 individuals (large).

Figure 7. Myrmarachne luctuosa: A, forma aurea, male habitus, dorsal view; B, forma aeneopilosa, male habitus, lateral view; C, forma aeneopilosa, female habitus, dorsal view; D, forma aeneopilosa, female habitus, lateral view; E, right male chelicera, dorsal view; F, left male chelicera, ventral view; G, left male palp, ventral view; H, male palpal tibia, dorsal view; I, epigyne, ventral view; J, vulva. Scale bars: A–D, 2 mm; E–J, 0.2 mm.

Figure 8. Myrmarachne lupata: A, male habitus, dorsal view; B, male habitus, lateral view; C, right male chelicera, dorsal view; D, left male chelicera, ventral view; E, left male palp, ventral view; F, male palpal tibia, dorsal view. Scale bars: A, B, 2 mm; C–F, 0.2 mm.