Artoria equipalus, Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2018

Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2018, The wolf spider genus Artoria in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae), Evolutionary Systematics 2 (2), pp. 169-241 : 169

Artoria equipalus sp. n. Figs 15, 17 A–H, 47H Horse Swamp Forest Runner

Material examined.

Holotype male, Barrington Tops National Park, 100 m from Horse Swamp Track (31°56 ’00” S, 151°23 ’04” E, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA), 11-21 January 2012, J.R. Gollan, M.A. Ashcroft, pitfall trap, upland swamp (AM KS128077). Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype (AM KS122934).

Other material examined.

Known only from type material.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a compound noun in apposition derived from the Latin equus (= horse) and palus (= swamp) and refers to the type locality, near Horse Swamp Track.

Diagnosis.

Males of A. equipalus sp. n. share with A. booderee sp. n., A. corowa sp. n. and A. munmorah sp. n. a distinctly bi-lobed tegular apophysis, but differ from these by the basal lobe of the tegular apophysis being more sclerotized and oriented more ‘horizontally’ in ventral view. The cymbium tip in A. equipalus has 4-5 macrosetae, which are absent in A. corowa sp. n. and A. munmorah sp. n. Artoria booderee sp. n. has 2-3 macrosetae on the cymbium tip which is more elongate than that of A. equipalus sp. n. The epigyne of female A. equipalus sp. n. is most similar to that of A. mungo sp. n., but the shape of the spermathecal heads is very different in both species with in particular with respect to the insertion of the spermathecal stalks (postero-medial in A. equipalus sp. n., lateral in A. mungo sp. n.).

Description.

Male (based on holotype, AM KS1128077).

Total length 3.0.

Prosoma. Length 1.7, width 1.2; carapace dark grey; with distinct broad lighter marginal band and broad lighter central band, widening towards eye region (Fig. 17A); sternum light brown, margin slightly grey (Fig. 17B).

Eyes. Diameter of AME: 0.07; ALE: 0.08; PME: 0.23; PLE: 0.16.

Anterior eye row. Strongly procurved, evenly spaced.

Chelicerae. Dark brown.

Labium. Dark brown, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 17B)

Pedipalp coxae. Dark brown, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 17B).

Legs. Tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi of leg I very dark to almost black; other legs light brown, annulated (Fig. 17A).

Opisthosoma. Length 1.3, width 1.0; cinnamon-brown with light yellow-brown anterior cardiac mark and dark grey irregular pattern (Fig. 17A). Venter cinnamon with darker pattern laterally (Fig. 17B); spinnerets dark grey.

Pedipalps. Tibia as long as broad; cymbium tip with 4-5 macrosetae (Fig. 17E, F); dorsal scopula patch absent; tegular apophysis distally scooped, deeply indented, bent retrolaterally, basally narrowed to 1/3 width, tip reaching margin of cymbium (Fig. 17E); palea about as long as wide, basoembolic apophysis large, triangular; embolus broad, straight; terminal apophysis broad, retrolaterally bifurcate (Fig. 47H).

Female (based on AM KS122934).

Total length 5.3.

Prosoma. Length 2.5, width 1.8; carapace and sternum colouration as male (Fig. 17C, D).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.10, ALE 0.14, PME 0.26, PLE 0.17.

Anterior eye row. Straight, evenly spaced.

Opisthosoma. Length 2.8, width 2.1; otherwise as male, but legs I not darker, not annulated and opisthosoma pattern more obscure (Fig. 17C, D).

Epigyne slightly wider than long, poorly sclerotised at posterior tips, atrium lighter inverted u-shaped (Fig. 17G); spermathecal heads globular about diameter apart, spermathecal stalks short, attached posteriorly (Fig. 17H).

Life history and habitat preferences.

The habitat description with the type material is 'upland swamp’. Spiders were found in January suggesting Artoria equipalus sp. n. to be summer mature.

Distribution.

Artoria equipalus sp. n. is known only from its type locality in Barrington Tops National Park in the NSW North Coast (NNC) IBRA region (Fig. 15).