Teyl walkeri, Main, 2004

Main, Barbara York, 2004, Biosystematics of Australian mygalomorph spiders: descriptions of three new species of Teyl from Victoria (Araneae: Nemesiidae), Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61 (1), pp. 47-55 : 50-53

Teyl walkeri sp. nov

Figures 10–30 , table 2

Material examined. Holotype, male, Victoria, 17.8 km SE of Murrayville , 35˚22'S, 141˚19'E (site 74), drift fence pitfall, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen ( NMV T-3008) . Paratypes. Allotype female, 27.2 km SE of Murrayville, 35˚25'S, 141˚11'E, drift net fence pitfall trap (site 79), Jun 1986, A.L. Yen ( NMV T-3009). Male, 20.3 km SE of Murrayville , 35˚24'S, 141˚20'E (site 76), drift fence pitfall, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen ( NMV T-3010) .

Diagnosis. Male. Generally pale yellow, abdomen with irregular dark brown, median dorsal pattern. Carapace non hirsute, heavy marginal bristles. Palp tarsus without spines; tibia retrolaterally with 2 hooked, proximal spines, 1 long tapering spine and 1 apical spine. Embolus slightly reflexed, flanged tip; bulb large, spherical but in some views gourd-shaped. Legs moderately hirsute, heavily spinose. Metatarsus I without spines. Tibia I with 4 large spines in retroventral line (3 megaspines terminally hooked, distal 2 on low mounds).

Absence of spines on metatarsus I and the flanged embolus tip distinguish the species from T. luculentus , T. harveyi and T. yeni .

Female. Small (<4 mm), uniformly pale yellow except abdomen greyish with dorsal median darker streak; carapace glabrous. Legs with dark spines and sparse hairs and bristles.

The presence of thin, sparse scopula on tarsi of palps and legs I and II differs from T. luculentus which lacks scopula in female. Tibia I with fewer heavy spines than T. luculentus . Internal genitalia lobate with short, thick stems.

Description of male (holotype). Uniformly pale yellow except for ocular area black, abdomen dorsally with irregular dark brown median pattern. Carapace non hirsute, with heavy marginal bristles. Legs not glabrous, moderately hirsute, heavily spinose. Fovea straight. Carapace length 3.2, width 2.5; abdomen length 3.5. Eye tubercle slightly wider than edges of ALE/PLE, tubercle 0.4 high; length of eye group 0.3, width 0.7. Diameters of eyes: ALE 0.15, AME 0.12, PLE 0.1, PME 0.1. Sternum length 1.5, width 1.3; labium 0.2. Chelicerae with heavy apical bristles intermixed with a few reduced spine-like bristles. Fang groove with 7 teeth on promargin and 6 or 7 small granule-like teeth retrobasally. Maxillae with narrow band of 18–20 cuspules (left and right).

Legs. Scopula present on tarsi and apical half of metatarsi I and II. Tarsal claws with 11 or 12 teeth in each line of all claws. Spination I, femur d 1-1-3-1 (pd apical), patella pd 1 (apical), tibia rd 1-1, pv 1-1-1, pd 1-1-1, r 1-1-1-1 (distal 3 megaspines with slightly hooked tip), metatarsus 0. II, femur 1-3-1-1 (pd apical), patella pd 1 apical, tibia pd 1-1, v 2-2, metatarsus pd midregion 1, rv midregion 1. III (right missing) left femur 1-1-3-3-2, patella pd 1 apical, rd 1 mid region, tibia d 1-3-2, metatarsus about 3 spines in a line on each face. IV, femur d 3 median, pd 3, rd 3, patella 0, tibia 2 or 3 spines in a line on each face, metatarsus about 3 spines in a line on each face (difficult to determine exact ‘side’). (Note: also a half circle of dorsal curved bristles on trochanters). Metatarsus I with slight proximal ventral depression and slight “elbow” ( Figs 14–16 ).

Palp. Tarsus without spines; tibia retrolaterally with 2 proximal, terminally hooked, stout spines and 1 long, bristle-like tapering spine, 1 midretrodorsal spine and 1 retrolateral apical spine, prolaterally with 3 stout spines and 2 prolateral-ventral proximal tapering bristle-like spines. Bulb subspherical to gourd-shaped, height 0.6 mm, width 0.5 mm; embolus arising mid (equatorial) region ( Figs 19–21 ). Embolus not distinctly reflexed, tip flanged.

Comments on paratype. Carapace damaged on posterior edge (length approximately 3.0, width 2.5); retrolateral spination of right palp tibia as for holotype; retrolateral aspect of tibia I lacks median spine; abdomen missing.

Description of female (paratype). Uniformly pale yellow except abdomen greyish with dorsal median dark brown streak reaching about two-thirds from anterior margin. Legs with sparse hairs and bristles; brown spines. Carapace glabrous and

Width of patella I at knee = 0.45 (0.45). Tibial index = 12.5 (12.16). Width of patella IV at knee = 0.40 (0.5). Tibial index = 10.2 (11.62). Leg formulae: 4/3.0 (3.6), 1/2.9 (2.9), 2/2.8 (2.72), 3/2.7(2.72).

with black ocular area. Fovea straight. Carapace length 3.3, width 2.7, caput width 1.9; abdomen length 6.2. Carapace lacks marginal spines. Eye group 0.85 long, 0.4 wide. Diameters of eyes: ALE 0.2, AME 0.15, PLE 0.15, PME 0.5; ALE apart 0.55. Sternum length 1.7, width 1.5. Labium 0.3 long. Chelicerae with pseudorastellum of stout bristles and long thin spines. Fang groove with 7 (left), 8 (right) promarginal teeth and 5 basal retromarginal teeth. Maxillae with cuspules in narrow band around incurved edge (about 22 on left maxilla, 35 on right), small rounded heel.

Legs. Scopula thin on palp tarsus and tarsus I; a few proximal scopula hairs on tarsus II; a few thin apical hairs on metatarsus I. Tarsal claws. Palp claw with 6 prolateral teeth (left) (right claw detached); legs with 6–9 teeth in each row of all claws. Spination I, femur pd 1 apical, rd a few, patella pd 1-1-1 bristle-like, tibia rv 1-1, v 2 bristle-like, metatarsus v 2-1 (rv) -2. II, femur pd 1 apical, patella pd 1 apical, tibia v 1-1-2 (bristles), pd 1-1, metatarsus v 2-2-2, pd 1. III, femur pd 1 apical, patella d 2-1, tibia v 1-2-2 (bristles), d 3- 2, metatarsus v 2-2-3, d 8 or 9 spines and heavy bristles. IV, femur pd 1 apical, patella rd 1, tibia v 2-2-2, rd 1-1, metatarsus v 2-2-3, d 2-1-1-2-1.

Palp, tibia pv 4 distal, pd 1 proximal, tarsus pv 1 proximal. Internal genitalia lobate with short, thick stems, terminally bulbous ( Fig. 30 ).

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr Ken Walker in recognition of his entomological and arachnological work.

Figures

Figures 10–21. Teyl walkeri sp. nov. Holotype, male. 10, carapace, chelicerae and abdomen, dorsal view; 11, sternal area and maxillae; 12, eye group; 13, left chelicera, pro-view; 14, leg I, tarsus, metatarsus, tibia, retrolateral view; 15, right leg I, tarsus, metatarsus, tibia, retroventral view; 16, right leg I, metatarsus and tibia prolateral view; 17–21, right palp; 17, tibia, tarsus and palpal organ, retrolateral; 18, same view as for 17, palpal tip enlarged; 19, tibia, tarsus and palpal organ, prolateral view; 20, tarsus and palpal organ, prolaterodorsal; 21, palpal organ (bulb and embolus) dorsal. Scale = 1.0 mm. (figs 10, 14–17, 19); 0.5 mm. (figs 11, 12); 13 and 18 not to scale.

Figures 22–30. Teyl walkeri sp. nov. Paratype (allotype), female. 22, carapace and chelicerae; 23, abdomen, dorsal view; 24, sternal area and maxillae; 25, right maxilla, proximal with cuspules; 26, right leg I ventral, tarsus, metatarsus and tibia; 27, right leg III dorsal, tarsus, metatarsus and tibia and patella; 28, right leg I, tarsal claws, p, prolateral, r, retrolateral; 29, genital lobe/aperture; 30, internal genitalia (spemathecae). Scale = 1.0 mm (figs 22–24, 26, 27); 0.5 mm (fig. 30); figs 25, 28, 29 not to scale.