Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão, 1942

Rubio, Gonzalo D., Lo-Man-Hung, Nancy F. & Iuri, Hernán A., 2014, A revision of the Neotropical genus Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Hahniidae), Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 106-116 : 107-110

Gen. Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão, 1942

Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão, 1942: 424 , fig. 56 (type species by monotypy A. praestans Mello-Leitão, 1942 ).

Note. Mello-Leitão did not provide a diagnosis for genus Austrohahnia . This genus is currently placed in Cybaeolinae ( Lehtinen 1967): “seems to belong here, but the original description is poor, and its relation to Cybaeolus (type genus of this subfamily) remains obscure”; here Austrohahnia is transferred to the subfamily Hahniinae from Cybaeolinae Lehtinen, 1967. We examined specimens of Cybaeolus pusillus Simon, 1884 (type species of the genus), and we could see substantial differences: 1) Austrohahnia have transverse spinnerets, while in Cybaeolus they are arranged in “normal” double longitudinal row; 2) the male palp of Cybaeolus has an embolus that originates basally, in males of Austrohahnia (so far unknown) it originates retro-apically; 3) palpal tibial process (= apophysis) in Cybaeolinae is distally branched, whereas Austrohahnia have two retrolateral tibial apophyses but end in an apical spine as in Hahniinae; 4) the pigmentation pattern of abdomen is reversed in Austrohahnia regarding Cybaeolus , and Cybaeolus are smaller; and 5) Cybaeolinae lack the patch of thick setae on ventral abdomen found diagnostic in Austrohahnia .

Diagnosis. Males and females of Austrohahnia can be easily distinguished from other American Hahniidae by the patch of thick, short setae ventrally on the abdomen, including immature specimens ( Figs 1B, G ; 2B, D, I). Males can be distinguished from Holarctic Hahniinae by having two retrolateral tibial apophyses (one of them homologous to the ventral tibial apophysis of other Hahniidae ), which originate retro-laterally at an identical position on the palpal tibia ( Figs 1C–E , 2E–G ). Females can be distinguished from Palaearctic Hahniinae by having long copulatory openings (as furrows) instead of small openings ( Figs 3A, D, G ).

Description. Female. Total length 3.10–4.90 (n = 27). Chelicerae with distinct lateral condyle and stridulatory files laterally. Three promarginal and three to five retromarginal teeth. Sternum slightly wider than long or as long as wide. Venter of abdomen with a patch of thick, short setae posteriorly ( Fig. 2I ). Leg formula: 4123. Carapace brown; cephalic region elevated. Sternum brown, lighter in the middle. Abdomen blackish brown, dorsally with a pale yellow chevrons or a stripe along the abdomen; ventrally brown with irregular spots. Legs pale yellow with brown rings and/or spots. Tracheal spiracle located closer to the spinnerets than to the epigastrium. Epigyne ( Fig. 3 ) with two large copulatory opening, spherical or flared, located in an atrium close to epigastric furrow. Copulatory duct well sclerotized, lead to spherical spermatheca; distinct middle stretch of copulatory duct. Small secondary receptacle located directly on copulatory duct.

Male. Total length 2.40–4.40 (n = 8). Chelicerae as in female; three promarginal and three to four retromarginal teeth. Sternum slightly wider than long. Abdomen as in female ( Fig. 1G ). Leg formula: 4123. Other characters as in female, except for the leg femora can be uniformly dark brown. Palp ( Figs 1C–E , 2E–G ): patella globose, with a strong patellar apophysis with apical tapering; tibia with two retrolateral tibial apophyses, one of them (most dorsal) strong and thick, similar shape to patellar apophysis, the other retrolateral tibial apophysis slender and strongly sclerotized, tip pointed, hook-shaped. Embolus originating retro-apically (at 1 o’clock), curved clockwise around the tegulum and ending near the membranous median apophysis.

Composition. Four species: Austrohahnia praestans Mello-Leitão, 1942 , Austrohahnia melloleitaoi ( Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942) new combination, Austrohahnia catleyi new species, and Austrohahnia isophthalma ( Mello-Leitão, 1941) new combination, nomen dubium.

Distribution ( Fig. 5 ). Argentina (provinces of Salta, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Córdoba, La Rioja, San Juan, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires and Río Negro).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Records of Austrohahnia spp. in South America; A. praestans (circles), A. melloleitaoi (squares), A. catleyi new species (stars), A. isophthalma (triangle), and Austrohahnia sp. (blue dot [immature specimen]).

FIGURES 1 A – G. Austrohahnia melloleitaoi, male; A – B habitus in dorsal (A) and ventral (B) view; C – E left palp in prolateral (C), ventral (D) and retrolateral (E) view; F palpal patellar apophysis in ventral view (arrow: granulated edge); G patch of thick, short abdominal setae in ventral view. Em—embolus; MA—median apophysis; PA—patellar apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; T—tegulum. Scale bars: A – B 1 mm; C, E 0.5 mm; D, F, G 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 2 A – I. Austrohahnia catleyi new species; A – B female habitus in dorsal (A) and ventral (B) view; C – D male habitus in dorsal (C) and ventral (D) view; E – G male left palp in prolateral (E), ventral (F) and retrolateral (G) view; H epigyne, ventral view; I patch of abdominal setae in female, ventral view. Em—embolus; MA—median apophysis; PA—patellar apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; T—tegulum. Scale bars: A – D 1 mm; E – I 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 3 A – I. Austrohahnia spp., epigyne; A – C, A. praestans in ventral (A – B) and dorsal (C) view (B – C cleared); D – F A. melloleitaoi in ventral (D – E), and dorsal (F) view (E – F cleared); G – I A. catleyi new species in ventral (G – H), and dorsal (I) view (H – I cleared). At—atrium; CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; FD—fertilization duct; msCD—middle stretch of CD; S—spermatheca (primary receptacle); SR—secondary receptacle. Scale bars: A – D 0.25 mm; E – I 0.2 mm.