Karaops australiensis (L. Koch, 1875) L. Koch, 1875

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 20-22

Karaops australiensis (L. Koch, 1875) comb. n. Figs 7-10Map 4

Selenops australiensis Koch 1875: 615, plate 43, fig. 6. Koch 1876: 832, plate 71, fig. 3.

Type material.

Holotype immature (ZMH, not examined): Bowen [20°01'S, 148°15'E], Queensland, Australia.

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Johansen’s Cave, 23°09'S, 150°28'E, 29.V.2000, from fogging trees with pyrethrum, vine scrub, 100 m, G.B. Monteith, 1♂ (QM S57515); from base of Jim Crow Mountain [23°13'S, 150°38'E], VII.1982, A. Rozefelds, 1♀ (QM S61054); Brandy Creek [20°21'S, 148°43'E], 15.IV.1975, R. Monroe, J. Covacevich, P. Filewood, 1♂ (QM S47115).

Diagnosis.

The male coiled, the small MA that is attached to the base of the cymbium (Fig. 7). Females can be separated from other species by the coiled sperm ducts that lead to small, ovoid spermathecae, and epigynal pockets are absent (Figs 9-10).

Remarks.

The holotype from Bowen, north-eastern Queensland, is an immature ( L. Koch 1875) and therefore unidentifiable to species level. We have assigned several adult specimens collected near Bowen to this species, in the assumption that only a single species occurs in the region. Although males and females have not been collected sympatrically, we have assigned them to the same species as they were collected less than 20 km apart.

Description.

Male (QM S57515)Color: Carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally dark grey, with pale patches anteriorly, dorsally and posteriorly; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin; 0.89 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.27; eye diameters, AME 0.16, ALE 0.08, PME 0.18, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-ALE 0.24, PME-PLE 0.18, ALE-PLE 0.10, AME-PME 0.03; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.43, PME-PME 0.8; clypeus 0.10 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:0.83 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 1; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, ventral apophysis short and quadrangular in lateral view, apophysis triangular, dorsal apophysis longer, curved and pointed at tip; retrolateral basal cymbial process absent; cymbial scopulae absent, cymbium round in ventral view; conductor very large, pointed at tip, terminating at 3 o’clock; base of embolus quadrangular and sinuate, abruptly constricted into very long, thin embolus that curves around edge of cymbium, beginning at 4 o’clock, terminating at 3 o’clock; MA a small short hook, attached to base of embolus. 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 on all legs; pr claw with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claw lacking 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 –1– 1; Tiv 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pl 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –1– 1; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:terminal setal tufts may be likely, but hairs are worn off. Dimensions: Total length 4.25. Cephalothorax length 2.24, width 2.53. Sternum length 1.12, width 1.35. Abdomen length 2.16, width 2.04. Pedipalp: Fm 0.76, Pt 0.39, Ti 0.40, Ta 0.71, (total) 2.26. Leg I: Fm 2.76, Pt 1.04, Ti 2.44, Mt 2.08, Ta 1.15, (total) 9.47. Leg II: Fm 3.58, Pt 1.15, Ti 2.92, Mt 2.59, Ta 1.28, (total) 11.51. Leg III: Fm 3.93, Pt 1.09, Ti 3.08, Mt 2.67, Ta 1.21, (total) 11.98. Leg IV: Fm 3.38, Pt 0.90, Ti 2.59, Mt 2.42, Ta 1.16, (total) 10.45.

Female (QM S61054): Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally dark grey, with pale patches anteriorly, dorsally and posteriorly; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax:Setae long and thin; 0.83 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.46; eye diameters, AME 0.16, ALE 0.01, PME 0.20, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-ALE 0.31, PME-PLE 0.22, ALE-PLE 0.18, AME-PME 0.05; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.45, PME-PME 0.89; clypeus 0.1 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:0.82 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, without teeth. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; Ta I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claw with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claw lacking 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– 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:possible setal tufts, old specimen, hairs worn off. Epigyne:Lateral lobes indistinct, posterior margin with a medial arch, small comma-shaped copulatory openings on either side of arch, epigynal pockets absent; internally with 5-6 medially to laterally coiled ducts, small oblong spermathecae. Dimensions: Total length 6.63. Cephalothorax length 2.50, width 3.01. Sternum length 1.25, width 1.52. Abdomen length 4.35, width 3.47. Pedipalp: Fm 0.8, Pt 0.48, Ti 0.48, Ta 0.82, (total) 2.58. Leg I: Fm 2.64, Pt 1.10, Ti 2.34, Mt 1.80, Ta 0.99, (total) 8.87. Leg II: Fm 3.45, Pt 1.16, Ti 2.82, Mt 2.17, Ta 1.08, (total) 10.68. Leg III: Fm 3.80, Pt 1.14, Ti 2.81, Mt 2.16, Ta 1.06, (total) 10.97. Leg IV: Fm 3.28, Pt 0.89, Ti 2.44, Mt 2.00, Ta 1.07, (total) 9.68.

Natural history.

This species has been collected from trees fogged with pyrethrum in vine scrub, and has been seen under the bark of eucalypts (R. Atkinson, pers. comm.).

Distribution.

This specieshas been collected from Northeast Queensland to the southern Cape York Peninsula (Map 4).