Cavisternum michaelbellomoi, Baehr & Harvey & Smith, 2010

Baehr, Barbara C., Harvey, Mark S. & Smith, Helen M., 2010, The Goblin Spiders of the New Endemic Australian Genus Cavisternum (Araneae: Oonopidae), American Museum Novitates 3684, pp. 1-40 : 32-34

Cavisternum michaelbellomoi , new species

Figures 3, 6, 9 , 144–157 ; map 2

TYPES: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Male holotype from Dalrymple National Park (site 2), 19 ° 49 9 42 0 S, 146 ° 05 9 26 0 E, 275 m (13 Dec. 2006 – 12 Feb. 2007, G. Monteith, D. Cook) (PBI_OON 00023352), deposited in QM ( S81352 ). Female allotype collected with holotype (PBI_OON 00023351), deposited in QM ( S83816 ) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of Michael Bellomo a bestselling author of books on science and technology. He is based in Los Angeles, California, and is extremely nervous around any arachnid larger than 1 mm.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of C. michaelbellomoi resemble those of C. maxmoormanni , as both have a small patch of sternal clavate setae within a shallow sternal concavity (fig. 9). They differ in having the epigastric area only slightly protruding (fig. 6), and the triangular embolus with a long thin tip (figs. 151–155). Females can be easily separated by the relatively large triangular dark area within the epigastric area (figs. 156, 157).

MALE: Total length 1.25. Carapace 0.53 long, 0.39 wide; abdomen 0.72 long, 0.31 wide. Carapace, sternum, mouthparts, and abdominal scutae yellow-brown, legs yellow. Sternum longer than wide, median concavity present as a small pit in posterior half of sternum (fig. 9). Chelicerae slightly divergent, fang distally widened (about O of paturon length). Abdomen cylindrical, epigastric scutum slightly protruding. Cymbium-bulb complex ovoid, embolus triangular with long thin tip, sides of embolus striated (figs. 151–155).

FEMALE: Total length 1.26. Carapace 0.53 long, 0.40 wide; abdomen 0.73 long, 0.32 wide. Coloration as in male. Epigastric area with wide triangular dark region, copulatory duct broadly triangular and dorsally bent (figs. 156, 157).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Dalrymple National Park , vine scrub on basalt, 19 ° 49 9 41 0 S, 146 ° 05 9 02 0 E, 275 m, 13 Nov. 2006, R. Raven, 1 ♀ (PBI_OON 00006347, QM S75340 ) ; Dalrymple National Park (site 2), 19 ° 49 9 42 0 S, 146 ° 05 9 26 0 E, 275 m, 13 Dec. 2006 – 12 Feb. 2007, G. Monteith, D. Cook, 2 ³, 3 ♀ (PBI_OON 00006003) (QM S83817 ) ; same data, 2 ³ (PBI_OON 00006287) (QM S75322 ) ; Red Falls , 19 ° 55 9 47 0 S, 145 ° 44 9 00 0 E S, 360 m, 16 Dec. 2006, B. Baehr, 2 ³, 1 ♀ (PBI_OON 00006275) (QM S78001 ) ; same data except 3 ³ (PBI_OON 00023367, AM KS106289, one used for SEM); Toomba Homestead site, 19 ° 58 9 04 0 S, 145 ° 34 9 49 0 E, 395 m, 17 Dec. 2006 – 13 Feb. 2007, R. Raven, A. Amey, 1 ³ (PBI_OON 00006295) (QM S76833) ; same data except 13 Feb. 2007, R. Raven, 1 ³ (PBI_OON 00006360) (QM S79369) ; same data except 2 ³ (PBI_OON 00006453, QM S75375) .

DISTRIBUTION: This species occurs in mideastern Queensland (map 2).

Figures

Figs. 1–9. Cavisternum species, males. 1–3: habitus, dorsal view; 4–6: habitus, lateral view; 7–9: sterna and chelicera, ventral view. 1, 4, 7. C. clavatum (PBI_OON 04906). 2, 5, 8. C. ewani (PBI_OON 06013). 3, 6, 9. C. michaelbellomoi (PBI_OON 06003).

Figs. 144–150. Cavisternum michaelbellomoi, new species, male (PBI_OON 23367). 144. Carapace, dorsal view. 145. Carapace, lateral view. 146. Carapace, frontal view. 147. Sternum, ventral view. 148. Chelicerae, dorsoventral view. 149. Endites and labium. 150. Detail of clavate setae on sternum. Scales: figs. 144–147, 100 mm; figs. 148–150, 10 mm.

Figs. 151–155. Cavisternum michaelbellomoi, new species, male palp (PBI_OON 23367). 151. Prolateral view. 152. Retrolateral view. 153. Dorsal view. 154. Embolus, ventral view. 155. Embolus, retrolateral view. Scales: figs. 151–153, 20 mm; figs. 154, 155, 10 mm.

Figs. 156, 157. Cavisternum michaelbellomoi, new species, female epigyne (PBI_OON 06287). 156. Ventral view. 157. Dorsal view.