Nanometa fea, Álvarez-Padilla & Kallal & Hormiga, 2020

Álvarez-Padilla, Fernando, Kallal, Robert J. & Hormiga, Gustavo, 2020, Taxonomy And Phylogenetics Of Nanometinae And Other Australasian Orb-Weaving Spiders (Araneae: Tetragnathidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2020 (438), pp. 1-107 : 1-107

Nanometa fea , sp. nov.

Figures 15 , 17 , 37

TYPE MATERIAL: Male holotype from Papua New Guinea, Morobe Prov. Mt. Kaindi, 7° 20′ 22.59″ S, 146° 40′ 41.69″ E, 2360 m. W. Shear, 17 November 1980, Moss Forest ( AMNH).

DIAGNOSIS: Specimens of N. fea can be differentiated from other large Nanometa species by the following combination of characters: tibia I ventral surface with small and thick macrosetae (fig. 15C), CEBP with only one large sclerotized apophysis, CEMP a triangular cuticular projection, tip separated from the CEMP and located on the cymbium retrolateral edge (figs. 15G, 17A, B). Conductor tip hook shaped and heavily sclerotized (figs. 15E, G, I, 17A).

DESCRIPTION: Male (holotype, TEAU013) total length 4.1. Cephalothorax length 1.9, width 1.5. Clypeus height 1.6 AME diameter. Cuticle coloration dark brown (probably due to preservation artifacts) (fig. 15B). Eyes subequal in size, lateral smaller. Sternum dark brown. Cheliceral promargin and retromargin teeth not observed due to state of specimen preservation. Abdomen dorsum background dark yellow, without guanine patches and a posterior black band (fig. 15B). Stridulatory organ along the anterior booklung edge, coxa IV not observed with SEM. Male pedipalp as described in the diagnosis.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet is taken from the feminine Spanish word for ugly, fea , and it refers to the poor preservation state of the only known specimen.

DISTRIBUTION: Papua New Guinea (fig. 37C).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: No additional material examined.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Nanometa sarasini (TEAU012; A, C, E, G), and N. fea (TEAU013; B, D, F, H). A. Pedipalp, ventral. B. Male, dorsal habitus. C. Male tibiae I and II. D. Pedipalp, dorsal. E. Pedipalp, ventral. F. Pedipalp, mesal. G. Pedipalp, dorsal. H. Pedipalp, ectal. I. Pedipalp, ectal. Scale bars: A–I, 0.2 mm; B, C, 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 17. Nanometa fea, pedipalp (TEAU013). A. Ventral. B. Dorsal. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Nanometa in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea. A. Map of region with areas of importance indicated. B. Western Australia. C. Eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. D. Southeastern Australia and Tasmania. E. New Zealand.