Artoria trifida, Do Prado & Baptista & Framenau, 2024

Do Prado, André W., Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira & Framenau, Volker W., 2024, Taxonomy of the wolf spider genus Artoria in Western Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae), Zootaxa 5547 (1), pp. 1-81 : 70-73

Artoria trifida sp. nov.

Figs 39–41

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DE23D4E5-1C16-4295-A206-D719812AA5A9

Type material. Holotype male, Lake Fox , SE of Hyden, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA, 32º54’50’’S, 119º28’32’’E, 20 May 1998 – 29 August 1998, wet pitfall trap, P. van Heurck, CALM Salinity Action Plan, site HY9 ( WAM T162518 ).

Other material examined (75 males, 20 females in 32 records). AUSTRALIA: South Australia : 1 female, Dudley Conservation Park, 10.9 km SW Penneshaw P.O., Kangaroo Island , 35º47’29’’S, 137º51’57’’E ( SAM NN13507 ) ; 1 female, Dudley Conservation Park, 13.6 km SW Penneshaw P.O., Kangaroo Island , 35º49’22’’S, 137º51’32’’E ( SAM NN13506 ) ; 2 males, Ngarkat Conservation Park, NE corner, 35º33’S, 140º45’E ( SAM NN13520–1 ) . Western Australia: 1 male, Broom Gully, Di Russo Road, 32º36’53’’S, 119º06’10’’E ( WAM T68222 ) ; 2 females, Camel Lake Nature Reserve , South, 34º17’34’’S, 117º58’51’’E ( WAM T68229 ) ; 3 males, same locality ( WAM T68219 ) ; 1 male, 1 female, Dongolocking Nature Reserve North, 33º03’00’’S, 117º41’03’’E ( WAM T68214 ) ; 1 male, SW of Dudinin , water reserve on railway line, 32º54’42’’S, 117º53’40’’E ( WAM T68220 ) ; 1 male, Dumbleyung Lake South, 33º22’44’’S, 117º38’31’’E ( WAM T68221 ) ; 5 males, Dunn Rock Nature Reserve , N of farm, 33º14’49’’S, 119º33’04’’E ( WAM T68215 ) ; 6 males, 5 females, Dunn Rock, SE face, 33º20’10’’S, 119º29’39’’E ( WAM T68183 ) ; 1 female, same locality ( WAM T162517 ) ; 2 males, 1 female, adjacent Holland Rock Nature Reserve , 33º21’35’’S, 118º44’50’’E ( WAM T68184 ) ; 2 males, 1 female, Lake Fox , SE of Hyden, 32º54’50’’S, 119º28’32’’E ( WAM T68176 ) ; 5 males, E of Lake King, E of Vermin Proof Fence , 33º02’31’’S, 119º59’28’’E ( WAM T68209 ) ; 13 males, SE of Lake King, E of Fields Road , 33º06’46’’S, 121º11’35’’E ( WAM T68213 ) ; 3 females, same locality ( WAM T68216 ) ; 1 male, same locality ( WAM T162516 ) ; 1 male, SE of Lake King, N of Edwards Road , 33º22’01’’S, 120º59’43’’E ( WAM T68208 ) ; 1 male, Lake Magenta Nature Reserve, East Central , East, 33º36’59’’S, 119º11’58’’E ( WAM T68223 ) ; 1 male, 1 female, Lake Magenta Nature Reserve, North Central , South, 33º34’02’’S, 119º07’39’’E ( WAM T68212 ) ; 3 males, same locality ( WAM T68224 ) ; 1 male, Lake Magenta Nature Reserve, South Central , South, 33º42’11’’S, 118º58’59’’E ( WAM T68207 ) ; 1 male, Lily McCarthy Rock, 32º41’35’’S, 119º20’25’’E ( WAM T99229 ) ; 7 males, Mount Vernon , 32º46’40’’S, 119º14’01’’E ( WAM T68225 ) ; 2 females, same locality ( WAM T68226 ) ; 7 males, 25 km NNE Nyabing, N of Ramunen Road , 33º21’27’’S, 118º18’51’’E ( WAM T68210 ) ; 3 males, 25 km NNE Nyabing, S of Ramunen Road , 33º20’33’’S, 118º15’34’’E ( WAM T68218 ) ; 3 males, SE of Pallarup Rocks, S of Lake King , 33º15’36’’S, 119º45’28’’E ( WAM T68205 ) ; 1 male, 17 km SE of Scaddan, Fields Road , 33º28’31’’S, 121º14’10’’E ( WAM T68217 ) ; 3 males, Silver Wattle Hill Nature Reserve , 33º08’56’’S, 118º49’46’’E ( WAM T68206 ) ; 1 female, Tambellup Water Supply Reserve , 34º02’20’’S, 117º33’30’’E ( WAM T68473 ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ trifida ” is a Latin adjective meaning ‘split in three forks or points’ and refers to the characteristic tegular apophysis of the male, which bears three large acute processes.

Diagnosis. Males of A. trifida sp. nov. are distinguishable from those of all currently described Artoria species by their pedipalps having a trifid tegular apophysis, with a long basal prolateral prong and two distal prongs, the most ventral carrying distal spines and pointing apically and the dorsal one pointing prolaterally in ventral view ( Fig. 39C, D ). Females are diagnosable by the epigyne bearing lateral lobes with acute mesal median projections that almost touch each other in the median latitudinal line of the epigyne, dividing the median septum in a narrowelevated ridge anteriorly between two deep concavities, and a rounded scape-like process posteriorly ( Fig. 40C, D ).

Description. Male (holotype, WAM T162518).

Total length, 4.51. Carapace, length 2.67, width 1.97, reddish-brown, with paler broad median longitudinal band and narrow marginal bands, and dark brown broad lateral bands ( Fig. 39A ). Sternum, yellowish-brown ( Fig. 39B ). Eyes, diameter of AME: 0.09; ALE: 0.09; PME: 0.31; PLE: 0.25, anterior eye row procurved, evenly spaced. Chelicerae, reddish-brown, three retromarginal and three promarginal teeth, median largest. Labium, dark brown, with pale anterior rim ( Fig. 39B ). Legs, background colour yellowish-brown, with very faint ringed dark grey stains throughout ( Fig. 39A, B ). Opisthosoma, length 1.92, width 1.56. Dorsum mostly pale brown, including the cardiac mark which is around ⅔ as long as opisthosoma, with dark grey patches and stripes on laterals and margins, darker on posterior third of opisthosoma ( Fig. 39A ). Venter pale brown ( Fig. 39B ).

Pedipalp ( Fig. 39C–D ), Tibia rectangular in ventral view, cymbium free tip almost half as long as the whole cymbium in ventral view; subtegulum heavily sclerotized and conspicuous. Tegular apophysis trifid, with a basal acute triangular prolateral prong at its base, slightly curved ventrally, and two distal processes, the most ventral originated from the expansion of the ventral margin of tegular apophysis, pointing apically in ventral view, forming a truncated ventral apex in retrolateral view and carrying a set of four spines; and the dorsal process has a sinuous distal margin ending in an acute tip pointed prolaterally. Basoembolic apophysis much longer than wide, sclerotized, and slightly rounded, projected posteriorly and partially covering the embolus. Embolus semicircular, flat, and long, slightly tapering to its acute apex. Terminal apophysis as a gutter, heavily sclerotized, wider than the embolus, with a rounded posterior margin ending in a slightly rounded apex.

Female (WAM T162517).

Total length, 5.09. Carapace, length 2.87, width 2.16, like male ( Fig. 40A ). Eyes, diameter of AME 0.09, ALE 0.09, PME 0.34, PLE 0.25, anterior eye row like male. Chelicerae and labium like male ( Fig. 40B ). Legs, like male, but with more conspicuous ringed dark grey stains throughout ( Fig. 40A, B ). Opisthosoma, length 2.50, width 2.03. Dorsum like male ( Fig. 40A ). Venter pale brown to whitish-yellow, with horizontal bands of dark grey spots ( Fig. 40B ).

Epigyne, wider than long, atrium subdivided medially by the mesal projection of the lateral lobes, its anterior section is wide and elliptical, bearing two lateral concavities close to the concave mesal margins of the lateral lobes and separated by the elevated median septum, while its posterior section is subtriangular bearing a median septum as a large and rounded scape-like process ( Fig. 40C ). Spermathecal heads globular, almost one diameter apart; spermathecal stalks long, with about twice the spermathecal diameter in length, attached ectally and bent ventrally ( Fig. 40D ).

Variation. Body length: Males (n=5): 4.26–5.38; Females (n=5): 4.69–6.75.

Life history and habitat preferences. Most mature specimens collected during spring. There was no habitat information with any of the specimens in collections.

Distribution. South-western Western Australia ( Fig. 41 ).

Figures

FIGURE 39. Artoria trifida sp. nov., male: A, dorsal habitus; B, ventral habitus; C–E, left pedipalp (C, ventral view, arrow indicates the basal prolateral prong of tegular apophysis; D, retrolateral view; E, embolic division, ventral view).A–D, holotype (WAM T162518); E, (WAM T162516). Scale bars: A, B, 2.0 mm; C–E 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 40. Artoria trifida sp. nov., female:A, dorsal habitus; B, ventral habitus; C, epigyne; D, internal genitalia, dorsal view. A–C, (WAM T162517); D, (WAM T68473). Scale bars: A, B, 2.0 mm; C, D, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 41. Distribution of Artoria trifida sp. nov., and Artoria wilkiei Framenau & Baehr, 2018.