Desis vorax L. Koch, 1872

Baehr, Barbara C., Raven, Robert & Harms, Danilo, 2017, " High Tide or Low Tide ": Desisbobmarleyi sp. n., a new spider from coral reefs in Australia's Sunshine State and its relative from Samoa (Araneae, Desidae, Desis), Evolutionary Systematics 1 (1), pp. 111-120 : 111

Desis vorax L. Koch, 1872 Figures 6 A–F, 7E, F

169 Desis vorax L. Koch, 1872, 345-346, Taf. 29 fig. 1-1, Sāmoa-Inseln, Upolu, male Holotype (Mus. GODEFFROY Nr. 6538) (32) ( Rack 1961).

Material examined.

MALE HOLOTYPE (ZMH-A0000099), from The Independent State of Sāmoa, Upolu, 20°15'N, 155°51'W, Godeffroy Collection.

Diagnoses.

Males of D. vorax can be separated from other Desis species, including D. bobmarleyi , D. marina and D. kenyonae , by having a slim, triangular conductor plate (CP) and a slender conductor tip (Fig. 7F).

Description.

Male (Holotype, ZMH-A0000099). Total length 5.85. Prosoma 3.47 long, 2.23 wide, pl/pw 1.55; sternum 1.55 long, 1.38 wide, sl/sw 1.12; opisthosoma 3.30 long, 2.14 wide. Eight eyes in two rows; AME 0.12; ALE 0.14; PLE 0.16; PME 0.17; AME–AME 0.11; ALE–AME 0.12; ALE–PLE 0.05; PLE–PME 0.17; PME–PME 0.20. Clypeus 0.04 high. Prosoma pale bleached, long rectangular, anteriorly straight; fovea short, 0.05 of prosoma length. Chelicerae paturon pale, bleached, strong, elongated, longer than sternum with 5 strong prolateral teeth, fangs 0.9 the length of paturon. Endites, labium and sternum pale bleached, labium trapezoid medially indented, with lateral sinuous margin; endites long with sharp triangular tip, double as long as labium; opisthosoma pale bleached with dark brown markings laterally and a median band scattered in triangles; venter pale. Legs pale, bleached, all tarsi with 3 claws, 3rd claw about 1/3 length of dorsal claws, both dorsal claws with about eight strong teeth. Body covered with long pale setae. Palp (Figs 6 D–F, 7E, F): cymbium pear-shaped, longer than wide, with slight sclerotisation on retrolateral margin covered with long setae and 5 thick spines in distal third; conductor large, elliptical with slim, triangular sclerotized CP and slender tip, embolus thin, semicircular, covered by conductor, median apophysis thin needle-shaped, retrodistal apophysis with hood–shaped tip. RTA medially indented and ventrally straight.

Distribution.

Currently known only from Upolu, one of the islands of the Independent State of Sāmoa. The wider distribution of this species is still unknown but it may be more widespread across the islands of Sāmoa.

Remarks.

Apparently, this species has not been re-collected since its original discovery but may have been overlooked because it is found in habitats that are not usually associated with spiders.