Karaops raveni, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 32-36

Karaops raveni sp. n. Figs 29 –329196– 97111Map 7

Type material.

Holotype male (QM S50593):Brooyar State Forest, 26°08'S, 152°31'E, Queensland, Australia, 300 m, 16.VIII.1997, G.B. Monteith. Paratype: Boat Mountain EP, 26°10'S, 151°58'E, Queensland, Australia, 580 m, 14.XII.1994, G.B. Monteith and G. Thompson, 1♀ (QM S47057).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Binjour Plateau [25°28'S, 151°23'E], 18.XI.2000, R. Raven, B. Baehr, 1♂ (QM S60167);Brisbane, 2.XII.1935, H.A. Longman, 1♂ (QM S61053); Bundaberg, 24°52'S, 152°21'E, 1986, E. Zillman, forest, 1♀ (QM S61056); Camira [27°38'S, 152°55'E], 1.I.1994, R. Raven, 1♂ (QM S25834); Drewvale, Illaweena Street, 27°38.5'S, 153°03.8'E, 40 m, 2.IX.2008, QM Party, scribbly gum, heath, 2♂ (QM S62456); Drewvale, Illaweena Street, 27°38.5'S, 153°03.8'E, 40 m, 5.XI.2003, QM Party, scribbly gum, heath, 1♀ (QM S66707); Gayndah, 100 km west of Maryborough [25°37'S, 151°36'E], I.2001, B. Baehr, 1♀ (QM S56867); Karawatha Forest, site 6, 27°37.6'S, 153°05.4'E, 5.XI.2003, QM Party, eucalypt woodland, 1♀ (QM S65113); Kenilworth, 25.I.1975, 1♀ (QM S47114); Nipping Gully, site 5, 25°42'S, 151°26'E, 26.I.1999, G. Monteith, vine scrub, fogging trees with pyrethrum, 1♀, 1 penultimate ♂, 3 immatures (QM S57611); Oxley [27°33'S, 152°58'E], I.1894, 1♀, 4 immatures (QM S61057); Springfield, 27°40'S, 152°55'E, 19.IX.1998, K. Walker, G. Robinson, 1♂, 1♀ (QM S42635, S42636); Stafford [27°24'S, 153°00'E], I.1910, 1♀ (QM S61055); Taroom District, Boggomoss, Price’s Creek, 25°29'S, 150°08'E, 11.IX.1996, P. Lawless, H. Janetzki, D.P., 1♀ (QM S36689); Taroom, Mount Rose Station, BM8, Boggomoss, 25°27'14"S, 150°01'45"E, 17.VI.1996, P. Lawless, H. Janetzki, J. Stanisic, G. Ingram, under bark of Ficus and Eucalyptus , 2♂, 1♀, 2 immatures (QM S37308). New South Wales: Armidale-Kempsey Road above MacLeay River, 30°44'52.6"S, 152°14'31.2"E, 26.II.2009, S. Crews, H. Smith, under eucalypt bark on tree along road, 1 immature (WAM T97228); Bimbadeen Lookout, Southwest of Cessnock, 21.IV.1990, D. Hirst, under bark, 1♀, 1 penultimate ♂ (SAM N199360-61); Brooklana [30°16'S, 152°51'E], E. Dorrigo,.VII.1929, W. Heron, 1♂, 1 immature (AM KS43754); Coolah Tops National Park, Grass Tree Track, 31°44'06"S, 150°00'05"E, 8.XI.2001, G. Milledge, under bark, 1♂ (AM KS75104); Coolah Tops National Park, Bald Hill Track, 2.5 km from the Forest Road, 31°45'02"S, 150°01'26"E, 8.XI.2001, G. Milledge, under bark, 1♀, 1 immature (AM KS75087); MacLean District Lower Clarence River [29°30'S, 153°12'E], 19.XI.1940, A.A. Cameron, 1♀ (AM KS43755); Richmond Range [28°20'S, 152°55'E], 16.IV.1976, R. Raven, on tin water tank, 1♀ (QM S34994); Skillion Nature Reserve, 0.7 km off Armidale-Kempsey Road near Jack’s Flat Road, 30°58'54.4"S, 152°43'24.8"E, 26.II.2009, S.C. Crews, H. Smith, under bark and on trees at sunset, 2 penultimate ♂, 6 immatures (WAM T97216, T97221, T97223, T97224, T97226, T97251, T97289, T97290); Tinderry Range, 17.8 km from Captain’s Flat Road on Tinderry Road, 35°45'01"S, 149°15'40"E, 10.XII.2005, V.W. Framenau, J.M. Waldock, under rocks on scree slope, 2♀ (WAM T67903); Tinderry Range, ESE of Michelago, 35°44'33.9"S, 149°14'57.1"E, 3.III.2009, S. Crews, A. Seago, under rocks on scree slope, 1♀, 1 penultimate ♂, 2 immatures (WAM T97217-T97219, T97231); Warrumbungles National Park, John Renshaw Parkway, 1.9 km W of camp Wambelong, 31°16'32'S, 148°57'37"E, 10.XI.2001, G. Milledge, H. Smith, M. Gray, under rocks, 2♀, 1 immature (AM KS75204); Watchimbark Nature Reserve beside Watchimbark Creek, 31°42'50"S, 151°37'44"E, 31.V.2007, H. Smith, under bark, 1♂, 1♀ (WAM T85304, T85305).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in honor of Dr. Robert Raven from the Queensland Museum in recognition of his work on Australian spiders.

Diagnosis.

Males can be distinguished from all other males by having unpaired setae ventrally on tibiae I and II, and from Karaops jarrit sp. n. by having the MA with a quadrangular base (Figs 29-30). Females can be distinguished from other species by an almost downward-pointing arrow- shaped median septum and the lateral lobes coming into contact posteriorly (Figs 31-32).

Remarks.

Thus far, this is the most widespread species of Karaops gen. n. Although the copulatory organs were identical in all specimens examined, there is much morphological variation throughout the range of the species in somatic characters, and size. The female has paired tibial and metatarsal ventral spines on legs I and II, while in the male, the spines are unpaired on the tibiae and there are no spines on the metatarsi, as in Karaops jarrit sp. n. There also seems to be some variation in the number of cheliceral teeth present - typically the promargin has 4 teeth and the retromargin has 3 teeth, however, it may differ between the right and left sides of some specimens (e.g. L 4,2; R 4,3 or R 4,2; L 2,3).

Description.

Male (holotype):Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly and laterally; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with femora, patellae and tibiae I–IV clearly annulated, yellow-brown, darkening distally; annulations not encircling entire legs. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin, carapace strongly flattened; 0.73 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; AME slightly larger than PME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.6; eye diameters, AME 0.20, ALE 0.12, PME 0.17, PLE 0.26; interdistances AME-ALE 0.29, PME-PLE 0.30, ALE-PLE 0.17, AME-PME 0.06; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.54, PME-PME 0.95; clypeus 0.06 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.7 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 2; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, dorsal apophysis long and slender, curved ventrally, pointed at tip, ventral apophysis much shorter, rounded in lateral view, with flattened ovoid tip in ventral view; retrolateral basal cymbial process present; cymbial scopulae absent, cymbium round; conductor large and slightly angular, pointed at tip; embolus very long and slender, beginning at 6 o’clock, terminating at 1 o’clock; MA with quadrangular base, long finger-like process arising from posteriorly and curving ventrodistally, only slightly sclerotized (Figs 29-30). Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 2341; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claws with 1 or 2 teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 1 –1–1–1–1– 1; Mt 0; Ti and Mt I and II with very weak spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1 –1–1–1–1– 1; Mt 0; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without tufts of setae. Dimensions: Total length 4.84. Cephalothorax length 2.34, width 3.21. Sternum length 1.25, width 1.79. Abdomen length 2.57, width 2.72. Pedipalp: Fm 0.79, Pt 0.44, Ti 0.48, Ta 0.73, (total) 2.44. Leg I: Fm 3.33, Pt 1.25, Ti 3.10, Mt 3.09, Ta 1.19, (total) 11.96. Leg II: Fm 5.60, Pt 1.46, Ti 4.99, Mt 4.13, Ta 1.51, (total) 17.69. Leg III: Fm 5.41, Pt 1.41, Ti 4.58, Mt 3.89, Ta 1.46, (total) 16.75. Leg IV: Fm 4.28, Pt 1.06, Ti 3.41, Mt 3.14, Ta 1.29, (total) 13.18.

Female (paratype): Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly and laterally; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with femora, patellae and tibiae I–IV clearly annulated, yellow-brown, darkening distally; annulations not entirely encircling legs. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin; carapace strongly flattened; 0.77 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME same size as AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.93; eye diameters, AME 0.21, ALE 0.13, PME 0.20, PLE 0.31; interdistances AME-ALE 0.41, PME-PLE 0.34, ALE-PLE 0.20, AME-PME 0.10; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.62, PME-PME 1.15; clypeus 0.08 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae me dially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 4 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.75 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, with c. 6 teeth. Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with c.10-15 teeth, rl claws with 1 or 2 teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:setal tufts present. Epigyne:lateral lobes, nearly touching posteriorly, forming an arrow shaped median field, epigynal pockets absent, copulatory openings located anterolaterally; internally two round spermathecae located anteriorly, ducts twisting multiple times, with anterior most coil flattened, small posterodorsal fold present, not covering any internal ducts, fertilization ducts located posteriorly (Figs 31-32). Dimensions: Total length 7.28. Cephalothorax length 3.02, width 3.94. Sternum length 1.55, width 2.08. Abdomen length 4.19, width 4.26. Pedipalp: Fm 0.83, Pt 0.56, Ti 0.56, Ta 0.92, (total) 2.87. Leg I: Fm 3.43, Pt 1.60, Ti 3.02, Mt 2.35, Ta 1.09, (total) 11.49. Leg II: Fm 4.94, Pt 1.71, Ti 4.07, Mt 3.11, Ta 1.40, (total) 15.23. Leg III: Fm 5.38, Pt 1.61, Ti 4.27, Mt 3.43, Ta 1.55, (total) 16.24. Leg IV: Fm 4.34, Pt 1.22, Ti 3.57, Mt 2.83, Ta 1.26, (total) 13.22.

Natural history:

Found under bark and under rocks, and on trees at night (Fig. 91).

Distribution.

Widespread in eastern Australia, from the Tinderry Range in the south of New South Wales to the Bundaberg Forest in Queensland in the north (Figs 96-97; Map 7).