Pinkfloydia rixi, Hormiga, 2017

Hormiga, Gustavo, 2017, The discovery of the orb-weaving spider genus Pinkfloydia (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in eastern Australia with description of a new species from New South Wales and comments on the phylogeny of Nanometinae, Zootaxa 4311 (4), pp. 480-490 : 482

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4311.4.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:84F52D5A-3E14-4A58-Bca6-F010D082D401
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6034812
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A387A3-5D2D-5A07-FF4F-FF1BF806F812
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pinkfloydia rixi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pinkfloydia rixi View in CoL new species

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2A–E View FIGURE 2 , 3A–E View FIGURE 3 )

Types. Australia: NSW: Macquarie Pass National Park , off Clover Hill Road, 828 m (ArPTC#30), 34° 34’05”S: 150° 39’25”E (WGS84), 8 April 2010, M.G. Rix & D. Harms. Sifting /beating in subtropical rainforest and handcollecting at night. Male (holotype, DNA voucher) and two females (paratypes)(GH1602)(Australian Museum). GoogleMaps

Etymology. The species epithet is a patronym in honor of Australian arachnologist Michael G. Rix, collector of this and many other new species of arachnids from Australia, in recognition of his contributions to spider systematics.

Diagnosis. Adult males of Pinkfloydia rixi n. sp. differ from those of P. harveii Dimitrov & Hormiga, 2011 in the embolus diameter, particularly as seen in apical view, clearly thinner and more slender in P. rixi ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ); in addition, the embolus denticles are placed more basally in P. harveii ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 F, 3G) than in P. rixi ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3B View FIGURE 3 ). These two species also differ in the shape of the apical process of the paracymbium, wider and more acute in the apex in P. harveii ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 F, 3H) than in P. rixi ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3C View FIGURE 3 ) and of the medial process (more rounded in P. harveii and with a basal bulge in P. rixi ). There are no conspicuous differences in the epigyna of these two species.

Description. Male (holotype; Figs. 1A, B, E View FIGURE 1 , 2A–D View FIGURE 2 , 3A–C View FIGURE 3 ): Total body length 2.88. Cephalothorax 1.51 long, 1.07 wide, 1.29 high. Sternum 0.71 long, 0.67 wide. Abdomen 1.55 long, 1.25 wide, 1.04 high. Cephalothorax, chelicerae and sternum brown; carapace and sternum margins darker, cephalic region medially lighter. Fovea well marked, with darker coloration. Eyes placed on a conically elevated and slightly projected forward cephalic region, with dark pigmentation around the lens; PME on short elevations, larger than the rest ( Figs. 1A, E View FIGURE 1 ). Lateral eyes juxtaposed. Distance between AME 1.3 times one AME diameter; between AME and ALE 0.83 an AME diameter. Distance between PME 3.42 PME diameters. Lateral eyes placed close to the PME. Clypeus height 2.91 times one AME diameter. Chelicerae slender, elongated and cylindrical ( Figs. 1E View FIGURE 1 ), with three anterior and two posterior teeth. Paturon cuticle rugose. Abdomen oval, longer than wide, with grey-brownish coloration and some guanine spots, more laterally. Dorsally with a darker band medially delimited by two clearer dorso-lateral bands. Caudal tubercle more darkly pigmented ( Figs. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ). Ventrally abdomen lighter, with few small darker spots. Legs yellowish, II– IV annulated, leg I faintly annulated. Femur I 1.94 long; 1.28 times the length of the cephalothorax. Palp ( Figs. 2A–D View FIGURE 2 ) with a long tibia, slightly shorter than cymbium ( Figs. 2B–D View FIGURE 2 ). Patella without macrosetae ( Figs. 2B–D View FIGURE 2 ). Paracymbium large and ventrally displaced with two distinctive black, long and thick macrosetae ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A, C View FIGURE 3 ). Cymbial ecto-basal process very long with pointed tip, strongly sclerotized ( Figs. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 , 3A, C View FIGURE 3 ). Cymbial ectomedian process with transparent rim and numerous cuspules dorsally ( Figs. 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ). Embolus with large metaine embolic apophysis, rectangular, with a pointed and folded laminar apical edge ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ). Conductor with blunt tip narrower than its base ( Figs. 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 ).

Female (paratype; specimen with epigynum not dissected; Figs. 1C, D, F View FIGURE 1 ): Total body length 3.80. Cephalothorax 1.90 long, 1.26 wide, 1.26 high. Sternum 0.77 long, 0.70 wide. Abdomen 2.36 long, 1.86 wide, 1.68 high. Coloration pattern and eyes distribution as in males. Sternum 0.75 long, 0.73 wide. Chelicerae with three anterior and two posterior teeth. Paturon of similar proportions to male’s, with smooth cuticle ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ). Clypeus height 2.15 times an AME diameter. Legs brown-yellowish; femur I 1.93, 1.01 times the length of cephalothorax. Epigynum well sclerotized plate, light brown ( Figs. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Epigynal plate flattened, with numerous cuticular pores ( Figs. 2E View FIGURE 2 , 3D, E View FIGURE 3 ). Copulatory ducts well sclerotized, opening on the ventral side of the epigynum and entering the spermathecae at their base ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ). Fertilization ducts membranous, originating very close to the copulatory duct entrance in spermathecae ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ). Spermathecae oval, weakly sclerotized, sack-like and partially collapsed in the illustration ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ).

Variation. Female cephalothorax length varies from 1.90–2.13 (n = 2). Female total body length ranges from 3.80 to 4.04 (n = 2).

Natural history. Collected sifting leaf litter in a subtropical forest in eastern Australia, where it is predicted to build orb-webs, like its sister species from Western Australia ( P. harveii ) although no direct observations exist (see Rix & Harvey 2011: fig. 44C for a photograph of the habitat of P. rixi n. sp. at Macquarie Pass National Park).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the eastern part of New South Wales.

Additional specimens studied. Only the type series.