Taphiassa magna Rix & Harvey, 2010

Rix, Michael & Harvey, Mark, 2010, The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level, ZooKeys 36 (36), pp. 1-321 : 88-89

Taphiassa magna Rix & Harvey , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:94C29946-FA1E-418B-8806-0B6397297E25

Figs 167–168, 169A, 216, 223H

Type material. Holotype male: Eddies Cave , Mount Gower track, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia, 550 m, sieved litter and moss, 16.XI.1979, G. Monteith ( QMB S88033 ).

Paratypes: Allotype female, trail to Mount Gower , Lord Howe Island , New South Wales, Australia, pitfall trap, 31°35'08"S, 159°04'45"E, 28.XI.-5.XII.2000, AM CBCR ( AMS KS76214 ); 1 female, Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia, summit, pitfall trap, 31°35'23"S, 159°04'22"E, 28.XI.-5.XII.2000, AM CBCR ( AMS KS76237 ) .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Lord Howe Island: trail to Mount Gower , pitfall trap, 31°35'08"S, 159°04'45"E, 5–14.XII.2000, AM CBCR, 1♀ ( AMS KS76209 ) ; above Erskine Valley , pitfall trap, 31°35'S, 159°05'E, 12.IX.1978, T. Kingston, 1♀ ( AMS KS87125 ) ; Mount Lidgbird , south-eastern face at base of summit tabletop, pitfall trap, 31°34'26"S, 159°04'54"E, 25.XI.-2.XII.2000, AM CBCR, 1♀ ( AMS KS76105 ) ; same data except 31°34'22"S, 159°04'46"E, 1♀ ( AMS KS76146 ) ; North Bay , litter, 31°31'09"S, 159°02'29"E, 13.XI.1978, T. Kingston, B. Miller, 1♀ ( AMS KS88974 ) ; same data except 15.XI.1978, 1♀ ( AMS KS88973 ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘magnus’, meaning ‘large’ ( Brown 1956), and refers to the relatively large body size of this species.

Diagnosis. Males and females of Taphiassa magna can be distinguished from all other described congeners by the large body size (carapace length> 0.70). Both sexes can also be recognised by the Lord Howe Island distribution (Fig. 216).

Description. Holotype male: Total length 1.51. Carapace 0.73 long, 0.59 wide. Abdomen 0.94 long, 0.78 wide. Leg I femur 1.04. Cephalothorax, abdominal sclerites dark reddish-brown; legs dark tan-yellow; abdomen dark olive-yellow. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites, with circular sclerotic rim around petiole; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view; carapace and sternum heavily punctate. Eight subequal eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; PME separated by slightly less than half their own diameter. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections; promargin without peg teeth. Legs relatively long (leg I femur-carapace ratio 1.42); macrosetae absent. Abdomen globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute and lateral sclerotic strips absent. Pedipalpal patella with retrolaterally-directed, hooked lRPA and strongly recurved distal apophysis; bulb oval in profile, with posteriorly-bulging subtegulum; tegulum smooth, with curved ETR; embolus long (length> 5× width), curving distally (Fig. 168).

Allotype female: Total length 1.70. Carapace 0.74 long, 0.60 wide. Abdomen 1.16 long, 0.88 wide. Leg I femur 1.04. Cephalothorax, abdominal sclerites dark reddishbrown; legs dark tan-yellow; abdomen olive-grey. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites, with circular sclerotic rim around petiole; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view; carapace and sternum heavily punctate. Eight subequal eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; PME separated by slightly less than half their own diameter. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections; promargin without peg teeth. Legs relatively long (leg I femur-carapace ratio 1.41); macrosetae absent; superior claws on legs I–II strongly pectinate. Abdomen globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute and lateral sclerotic strips absent. Pedipalp very small, reduced to a vestigial nubbin. External epigyne indistinct (Fig. 167D); spermathecae globular, bent inwardly; insemination ducts short; fertilisation ducts simple, curved (Fig. 169A).

Distribution. Known only from Lord Howe Island in the western Pacific Ocean, 780 km north-east of Sydney (Figs 216, 220).

Remarks. Taphiassa magna is one of the largest Micropholcommatidae in the world, and is known only from Lord Howe Island. The species is widespread on the island, found in both lowland and montane areas (Figs 216, 220). The large body size, reddish-brown carapace colour and morphology of the male and female genitalia suggest a possible close relationship with T. punctata from New Zealand.