Knotodo coolgardie, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 77-79

Knotodo coolgardie sp. nov.

Figs 61–62

Diagnosis. Males are very similar in the palpal bulb and RTA to those of K. gracilis , but differ from those of K. gracilis and all other known species, except Xis. jandateae sp. nov., in having a patellar cone prolaterally on the palp ( Fig. 61b ).

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from the type locality.

Type Material. Western Australia: male holotype, 40 km N. of Johnston Lakes {32°09’S 120°45’E} (S. of Coolgardie), 1 Jan 1977, A.M. Douglas, M.J. Douglas, ( ABFC), WAM98 /798.

Paratype. 1 fem. same data as holotype, WAM 98 /799.

Description. Male, holotype WAM98/798

Carapace 4.56 long, 3.36 wide. Opisthosoma 4.16 long, 2.40 wide. Total length, 8.7.

I: 7.04; 1.92; 5.60; 6.00; 2.64; 23.20. II: 6.16; 2.16; 6.40; 6.40; 3.52; 24.64. III: 6.56; 2.00; 6.24; 7.44; 4.08; 26.32. IV: 8.16; 2.00; 7.60; 8.96; 4.40; 31.12. Palp: 2.40; 1.28; 1.28; -; 2.71; 6.96.

Colour: Carapace with two moderately dark shell-like areas laterally; opisthosoma dorsally laterally pallid mottled lightly with distinct dark median stripe with 2 lateral ostiate branches; ventrally none, pallid; femora with weakly discernible mottling. Eyes: All similar, small; ALE clearly smallest. Posterior row eyes more or less overlapping; PME and PLE inner edges well separated. Legs very long. Spines: Femora pv1 only on I, II; tibia I, II p2d1r2 on I, II.

Palp: Patella with distinct retrolateral conical process; dorsally with distal point interlocking with sclerotised notch on basal tibia; cymbial hairs all similar, but hairs very long basally on cymbium; retrobasally with a distinct groove for basal half; probasal edge extended laterally with distinctly squared edge forming rounded lobe; apex of ventral lobe blunt, triangular; dorsal lobe a wide, recurved hooked plate; RTA distal; short, directed laterally; two plates sandwiching unsclerotised zone; base of ventral lobe darkly sclerotised conical process; ventral lobe long, triangular, dorsal lobe a wide, recurved hooked plate; embolus central, directed basally.

Female WAM 98/799

Scopula on tibia I for full ventral for distal 0.6 of I, two narrow lateral bands for ca. 0.5 of II, absent on III, IV. Epigyne: Median septum wide Y- or grail-shaped lateral ridges, short median septum not to posterior edge.

Distribution. Known only from Coolgardie, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 61. Knotodo coolgardie sp. nov., male holotype WAM 98/798: a, b, d, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, patella showing apophysis, dorsal view; c, habitus, dorsal view; d, ventral view.

FIGURE 62. Knotodo coolgardie sp. nov., male holotype WAM 98/798: a, d, e, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; d, palpal patella, dorsal view; e, retrolateral view; b, c, female, WAM 98/799: b, epigyne, ventral view; c, internal genitalia, dorsal view.