Tasmanicosa subrufa ( Karsch, 1878 ) Karsch, 1878

Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2016, Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae), Zootaxa 4213 (1), pp. 1-82 : 48-49

Tasmanicosa subrufa ( Karsch, 1878) comb. nov.

Tasmanian Union-Jack wolf spider

( Figs 3S , 4K , 27A–K , 28 )

Lycosa subrufa Karsch 1878: 813 –814; McKay 1985: 83; Moritz 1992: 327. Lycorma subrufa (Karsch) .— Roewer 1955: 266; McKay 1973: 380.

Type data. Syntypes. 2 females (one without opisthosoma), Vandiemensland (= Tasmania, AUSTRALIA), Schayer ( ZMB 1962 ) (examined).

Other material examined. 27 males, 63 females (three with eggsac and two with spiderlings) and 14 juveniles in 75 records (see Appendix B).

Diagnosis. Males and females of T. subrufa resemble T. ramosa and T. semicincta in having a tegular apophysis with an extremely long ventral process and corresponding long epigyne, but can easily be distinguished from these species by colouration. Whereas the venter of T. subrufa is entirely black, it has a limited triangular black patch in T. ramosa (which also has a very distinctive dorsal opisthosoma pattern of transverse white lines) and is limited to a black transverse band behind the epigastric furrow in T. semicincta .

Description.Male (based on QM S66654 ).

Total length 15.8.

Prosoma. Length 9.3, width 7.2; carapace dark brown with genus-specific Union-Jack pattern and distinct narrow median and marginal light bands ( Fig. 27A ); sternum dark brown ( Fig. 27C ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.34, ALE 0.39, PME 0.76, PLE 0.68.

Chelicerae. Dark brown with an elongated patch of golden setae frontally.

Labium. Glabrous dark brown with light brown anterior rim ( Fig. 27C ).

Endites. Glabrous dark brown ( Fig. 27C ).

Legs. Uniformly light brown, covered with silvery setae; coxae dark brown ( Fig. 27C ).

Opisthosoma. Length 9.0, width 5.3; dorsally with folium pattern anteriorly and thin, transverse light wavy lines posteriorly ( Fig. 27A ); venter very dark brown to black ( Fig. 27C ).

Pedipalps. Cymbium dorsally covered with a dense layer of silvery setae; tip with 3–5 macrosetae ( Figs 27E– F ); ridge of tegular apophysis exceeding tegular apophysis width, ventral process very long ( Figs 27J–K ); embolus thin; terminal apophysis broad, flat with slightly notched tip ( Fig. 27I ).

Female (based on QM S66654 ).

Total length 19.7.

Prosoma. Length 11.1, width 8.3; carapace and sternum colouration as male ( Figs 27B, D ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.35, ALE 0.38, PME 0.83, PLE 0.70.

Chelicerae, labium, endites, legs and opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 9.5, width 6.5; otherwise as male, but chelicerae without frontal patch of golden setae ( Figs 27B, D ).

Epigyne. Approximately two and a half times longer than wide, median septum inverted T-shaped, medially widened and gently curved anteriorly and generally asymmetrical ( Fig. 27G ); spermathecal heads small, situated approximately at one third distance from epigyne base; spermathecal stalks slightly S-shaped ( Fig. 27H ).

Remarks. The syntypes of T. subrufa were initially dry-pinned and subsequently transferred into 70% ethanol. The colour pattern is not well preserved and therefore the species is redescribed from representative fresh specimens.

Life history and habitat preferences. The few records of T. subrufa with some description of their habitat are not very conclusive in relation to habitat preferences for the species. They include sand hill on paddock, sandy ground, sphagnum moss, tussock grassland, wet sclerophyll forest and east-facing slope. Mature males of T. subrufa have been found from November to March with a peak in December and mature females mainly from November to May, with few records from August and September. Females with eggsac were found in December and March and those with spiderlings in February.

Distribution. Tasmanicosa subrufa has mainly been recorded from Tasmania, but there are isolated records on the Australian mainland coast from Tuross (New South Wales), Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Hill (South Australia) and Warrnambool (Victoria) ( Fig. 28 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3 A – T. Illustrations for the key to the Tasmanicosa species of Australia. Roman letters refer to the key choices in the text.

FIGURE 4 A – K. Illustrations for the key to the Tasmanicosa species of Australia. Roman letters refer to the key choices in the text.

FIGURE 27 A – K. Tasmanicosa subrufa (Karsch) comb. nov., male (QM S 66654) and female (QM S 66654); A, C, male, dorsal (A) and ventral (C) view; B, D, female, dorsal (B) and ventral (D) view; E, F, right male pedipalp, retrolateral (E) and ventral (F) view; G, H, female epigyne, ventral (G) and dorsal (H) view; I, palea of right pedipalp, ventral view; J, K, tegular apophysis of right pedipalp in apical (J) and ventral (K) view. Scale bars: A – D, 5 mm; E, F, 1 mm; G – K, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 28. Distribution records of Tasmanicosa subrufa (Karsch) in Australia.