Knotodo eneabba, 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 : 79-81

Knotodo eneabba sp. nov.

Figs 63–64

Diagnosis. Males resemble those of K. toolinna sp. nov., but differ in the apex of the median apophysis scoop-like, with only a mound basally ( Fig. 63a ). Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from the type locality.

Type Material. Western Australia: male holotype, Eneabba , Revision Guild Corp., area 4, 29°50`S 115°15`E=29.8333 115.2500, 1 Jun 1993, R.P. McMillan & R.J. Colum, pitfall trap, WAM T33482 .

Paratypes. 2 ma., Grass Valley , 28 April 2012, Mick Davis, WAM ; 1 ma., Trayning , 31°07’S, 117°48’E, 18 May 1989, A. Dugand, WAM 98 /761; 1 ma., Grasspatch, Fitz. Loc 41, 33°14’S, 121°43’E, 4 May 1989, A.F. Longbottom, WAM T74167 ; 2 ma., Queen Victoria Spring Nature Res., Ponton Ck , 30°25’04”S, 123°35’7.8”E, 18 Apr 1996, R. Horley, Trapline , WAM98 /736–7; 6 ma., Fitzgerald River NP, 34°01’32”S, 119°34’42”E, Apr 1986, A. Chapman (via B.Y. Main), WAM98 /762–767; 1 ma., Perth Airport Site 3, 31°55’24”S, 115°58’40”E, 5–8 May 1987, W. Humphreys et al., WAM T74169 . South Australia: 1 ma., Renmark , 32 km N, 33°53’S, 140°44’E, chenopod scrubland, flight/ ground intercept trap, 29 Mar–3 May 1995, K. R. Pullen , QM S41781 .

Description. Male, holotype WAM T33482

Carapace 3.92 long, 3.01 wide. Opisthosoma 4.13 long, 2.09 wide. Total, 8.1.

I: 5.27, 1.67, 5.40, 5.40, 3.47, 21.21. II: 5.60, 1.87, 5.54, 5.60, 3.60, 22.21. III: 6.14, 1.74, 6.00, 6.80, 4.20, 24.88. IV: 7.47, 1.94, 7.07, 8.00, 4.60, 29.08. Palp: 1.74, 0.87, 1.54, -, 2.00, 6.15.

Colour. Carapace fawn with strong wide black sash medially from and including all eyes narrowing prefoveally and widening again posteriorly, black flecks laterally on caput, two at caput construction on margin and one subcentrally; opisthosoma dorsally fawn with long wide black sash medially breaking up slightly on posterior edges; venter pallid save for 2 black marks lateral of spinnerets; femora yellow brown with slightly black mottling. Carapace margins with long hoary white hair.

Eyes: Eight in 2 recurved rows; front edge of ALE in base of back edge of AME, likewise in back row. Relative sizes: AME>PME>PLE>ALE. Front width, back width, long, 41:49:32. Sizes: AME, 11; ALE, 6; PME, 8; PLE, 10. AME–AME, 6; AME–ALE, 6; PME–PME, 7; PME–PLE, 0. Chelicerae. Promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2. Sternum pilosity: long white hairs on margins, rest short brown bristles centrally directed, more thickened.

Legs. Very long. Trochanter notches ca. x 1.5 wider than deep. STC with 6 long teeth. Tarsi bowed. Scopula thin in bands 1/2–2/3 of metatarsi I–IV; denser but still thin on tarsi I–IV; pseudotufts not dense but extend beyond claws. Spines. I: fe pv1p2d3r4; pa 0; ti p2d3r2v2.2.2; me p1.2r1.1.v2.2. II: fe pv1p3d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d3r2v2.2.2; me p0r1. v2.2. III: fe p4d3r4; pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.1.1.1r2.1.1v2.2.1. IV: fe p4d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.1.1.2r2.1.2v2.2.1. Palp: fe p1d1.1.2; pa p1d1.1 (including 1 apical); ti p3d1.

Spinnerets: PLS and ALS long cylindrical; PLS ca. 0.5 x diameter of ALS with conical apical article; PMS smaller cylinders.

Palp. Tibia short with longitudinal ridge on prolateral edge. RTA large trianguloid, widest basally, laterally resembles lip of univalve mollusc with strong sclerotised ridged fold dorsally meeting rounded fold with less sclerotisation and basal twisting ridge ventrally. From above, dorsal process pointed, horn-like, ventral lobe rounded with subapical lobe, intervening area unsclerotised. Cymbium dorsally with long white hairs and brown bristles, none thick, scopula absent; apical cone short, sharply conical with pallid crescent under apex; lateral margins all narrow. Median apophysis large, like head of cobra with narrow prolateral edge, narrow ridge, and scooped retrolateral flare sclerotised for most of its length and fused on prolateral edge to base of embolus. Embolus originates probasally, sweeps above median apophysis, unsclerotised conductor extends from prolateral corner of tegulum to behind median apophysis. Tegulum deep, gourd-shaped. Subtegulum smaller L-shaped with narrow ridge between embolus base and basal tegulum.

Distribution. Known from South Australia and Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 63. Knotodo eneabba sp. nov., male: a, b, WAM 98/761: a, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia, ventral view; b, RTA, dorsal view; c, d, holotype, WAM T33482, habitus: c, lateral view showing very long legs; d, dorsal view.

FIGURE 64. Knotodo eneabba sp. nov., male palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia, scanning electron micrographs:a, bulb, proventral view; b, ventral view.