Karaops burbidgei, 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 : 38-40

Karaops burbidgei sp. n. Figs 35-38Map 8

Type material.

Holotype male (WAM T55000): John Wayne Country, Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia, 20°45'08"S, 115°22'05"E, 4.XI.-2.XII.1993, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, pitfall, rocky site. Paratype: Barrow Island, site 45, 20°47'18"S, 115°28'31"E, 24.IV.2005, K. Edward, S. Callan, hand collecting at night, 1♀ (WAM T76698).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA:Western Australia: Barrow Island, Gorgon Project footprint plot GP6, 20°47'05"S, 115°26'28"E, 6.V.2006, S. Callan, R. Graham, high limestone flats, at night, 1 immature (WAM T97863); Barrow Island, Plot N10, 20°49'23"S, 115°22'21"E, 6.V.2006, S. Callan, R. Graham, evaporation pits, at night, 1 immature (WAM T97682); Barrow Island, Plot N09, 20°47'05"S, 115°23'38"E, 6.V.2006, S. Callan, R. Graham, central processing facility, at night, 1 immature (WAM T97681).

Etymology.

This species is named for Andrew Burbidge in recognition of his conservation activities in Australia.

Diagnosis.

Males of this species can be differentiated from other species by their large, transparent, laterally directed MA (Fig. 35). Females can be differentiated from other species by their medially located copulatory openings, and short internal ducts (Figs 37-38).

Description.

Male (holotype): Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen missing; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with femorae, tibiae and tip of tarsi lightly annulated. Cephalothorax: setae long and thin; carapace strongly flattened; 1.14 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 0.96; eye diameters, AME 0.13, ALE 0.08, PME 0.19, PLE 0.29; interdistances AME-ALE 0.29, PME-PLE 0.21, ALE-PLE 0.19, AME-PME 0.02; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.10, PME-PME 0.36; clypeus 0.12 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:0.72 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 1; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, dorsal apophysis longer, narrower, angular, ventral apophysis quadrangular in lateral view, tip dilated in ventral view; retrolateral basal cymbial process absent; cymbial scopulae absent, cymbium oval to triangular, angled bottom right; conductor large with two processes at the tip, one fleshy and amorphous, the more anterior one quadrangular and more sclerotized; embolus long and slender, arising from large quadrangular base that abruptly narrows, beginning at 7 o’clock, terminating at two o’clock; MA long, basally thick, narrowing abruptly distally and curving distally, spatulate at tip, directed laterally (Figs 35-36). Legs:leg formula unknown (at least one leg missing); scopulae absent; tarsi with strong claw tufts; claws without teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2–2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; II, Fm pr 0 –0– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2–2– 2; IV, Fm pr 0 –0– 1, dorsal 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2-2; Mt 0. Dimensions: cephalothorax length 1.99, width 1.74. Sternum length 0.96, width 1.34. Pedipalp: Fm 0.67, Pt 0.38, Ti 0.38, Ta 0.71, (total) 2.14. Leg I: Fm 2.57, Pt 1.01, Ti 2.12, Mt 2.05, Ta 1.07, (total) 8.82. Leg II: Fm 3.22, Pt 1.05, Ti 2.62, Mt 2.30, Ta 1.15, (total) 10.34. Leg III: Missing. Leg IV: Fm 3.59, Pt 0.96, Ti 2.77, Mt 2.55, Ta 1.21, (total) 11.08.

Female (paratype):Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale yellow-brown; abdomen dorsally pale creamy-yellow with a few darker flecks; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with segments clearly annulated, but annulations do not completely encircle femorae, legs darkening distally at tibiae; annulations lighter in centers giving a 'leopard spot’ appearance. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin; carapace flattened; 0.9 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.35; eye diameters, AME 0.13, ALE 0.05, PME 0.19, PLE 0.29; interdistances AME-ALE 0.24, PME-PLE 0.25, ALE-PLE 0.20, AME-PME 0.03; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.40, PME-PME 0.74; clypeus 0.14 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:0.93 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, with 3 teeth, widely separated. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw with 1 or 2 small teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2–2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0 –0– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2–2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0 –0– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0 –0– 1, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –0– 1; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without tufts of setae. Epigyne:lateral lobes separated posteriorly, nearly touching; bilobed sclerotized hood in the middle of plate, copulatory openings located under hood; epigynal pockets absent; internally, two ovoid spermathecae, located anteriorly, close together, sperm ducts twisted once, fertilization ducts located posteriorly, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 37-38). Dimensions: Total length 5.41. Cephalothorax length 2.20, width 2.44. Sternum length 1.23, width 1.32. Abdomen length 3.48, width 3.07. Pedipalp: Fm 0.73, Pt 0.70, Ti 0.44, Ta 0.67, (total) 2.54. Leg I: Fm 2.18, Pt 0.96, Ti 1.89, Mt 1.51, Ta 0.83, (total) 7.37. Leg II: Fm 2.61, Pt 1.04, Ti 2.20, Mt 1.71, Ta 0.94, (total) 8.50. Leg III: Fm 3.05, Pt 0.94, Ti 2.25, Mt 1.81, Ta 0.96, (total) 9.01. Leg IV: Fm 2.71, Pt 0.87, Ti 1.89, Mt 1.77, Ta 0.91, (total) 8.15.

Natural history.

Collected from on/under rocks at night, or in pitfall traps around rocks.

Distribution.

Known only from Barrow Island, Western Australia (Map 8).