Myrmarachne macleayana, (BRADLEY, 1876)

Tripathi, Rishikesh, Jose, Athira, Nafin, Karunnappilli Shamsudheen, Babu, Nishi & Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu, 2017, Revision of eastern Australian ant-mimicking spiders of the genus Myrmarachne (Araneae, Salticidae) reveals a complex of species and forms, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 179 (3), pp. 642-676 : 660-661

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12439
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14806040
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C06D1236-FA34-481A-FF0B-64DB782EFA07
treatment provided by	Plazi (2025-02-04 21:25:40, last updated by Guilherme 2025-02-05 11:47:31)
scientific name	Myrmarachne macleayana
status

Treatment

MYRMARACHNE MACLEAYANA ( BRADLEY, 1876) View in CoL

Salticus macleayanus Bradley, 1876: 220 ; pl. 2, fig. 1 (D ♂) – forma foreli View in CoL .

Myrmarachne macleayana Rainbow (1911): 283 View in CoL .

Salticus jugularis Simon, 1900: 404 – View in CoL syn. nov.

Myrmarachne jugularis Simon, 1901: 499 View in CoL ; fig. 593 (D ♂); Myrmarachne jugularis Zabka View in CoL _ (1991b): 42 (type locality specified as Australian).

Type material

Australia. QLD: 1♂ neotype, forma foreli ( QMB, S100103 View Materials ) (7 March 2012; I. Macaulay) Ingham (18 ° 39 0 18.39 ″ S, 146 ° 9 0 12.67 ″ E).

Material examined

Australia.

Forma foreli : QLD: 1♀ ( QMB, S73291 View Materials ) (10 June 1993; B. Baehr) Einasleigh River GoogleMaps , 33 km west of Mount Surprise (18 ° 15 0 33.8 ″ S, 144 ° 02 0 45.1 ″ E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100102 View Materials ) (16 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Barron Gorge National Park, car park (16 ° 50 0 10.55 ″ S, 145 ° 38 0 34.20 ″ E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100100 View Materials ) (25 December 2011; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♀ ( MUB) (4 January 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100101 View Materials ) (28 November 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100140 View Materials ) (28 November 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality. 2♂♂ ( MUB) (10 January 2012; I. Macaulay) Cairns, Cattana Wetlands GoogleMaps , near Uni campus (16 ° 49 0 S, 145 ° 42 0 E) ; 1♂ ( MUB) (17 November 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100104 View Materials ) (14 March 2013; I. Macaulay) Marcheeba GoogleMaps (17 ° 0 0 36.84S ″, 145 ° 25 0 30.09 ″ E); 1♀ ( QMB, S100142 View Materials ) (8 November 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( AMS, KS.81334) (15 October 2002; M. Zabka _) Babinda GoogleMaps (17 ° 21 0 S, 145 ° 56 0 E) ; 1♀ ( QMB, S100099 View Materials ) (6 May 2014; I. Macaulay) Dimbulah GoogleMaps (17 ° 08 0 56.3 ″ S, 145 ° 06 0 22.4 ″ E); 1♀ ( MUB) (16 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Crystal Cascades (16 ° 57 0 49.06 ″ S, 145 ° 40 0 4.99 ″ E) . 4♂♂, 2♀♀, 2 juv. ( MUB) (20 � 24 March 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek ar �) Cairns, Cairns Botanic Gardens GoogleMaps (16 ° 53 0 57.563 ″ S, 145 ° 44 0 59.953 ″ E) .

Forma robsoni : QLD: 1♂ ( AMS, KS.51675) (6 January 1976; G. Daniels) Blackdown Tableland Expedition Range (23 ° 48 0 S, 149 ° 08 0 E); 1♂ ( AMS, KS.70331) (J. Child) Homestead, in ranges (20 ° 21 0 S, 145 ° 39 0 E); 1♀ ( AMS, KS.97227) (16 March 1997) Trinity Park (16 ° 48 0 S, 145 ° 42 0 E); 1 juv. ( AMS, KS.12788) (March 1975; C. Horseman) Eurimbula, south-east of Gladstone (24 ° 11 0 S, 151 ° 50 0 E); 1 juv. ( AMS, KS.18225) (10 January 1972; N.C. Coleman) Marcheeba (17 ° 00 0 S, 145 ° 26 0 E); 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5766) (3 January 1972; N.C. Coleman) Aloomba (17 ° 07 0 S, 145 ° 50 0 E); 1♀ ( AMS, KS.5767) (6 January 1972; N.C. Coleman) same locality; 1♀ ( QMB, S100110 View Materials ) (22 April 2014; I. Macaulay) Barron Gorge National Park (16 ° 50 0 10.55 ″ S, 145 ° 38 0 34.20 E); 1 juv. ( QMB, S100106 View Materials ) (25 April 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1 juv. ( QMB, S100108 View Materials ) (4 May 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♀ ( QMB, S100141 View Materials ) (6 November 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( MUB) (26 March 2013; I. Macaulay) Barron Gorge National Park, car park (16 ° 50 0 11.40 ″ S, 145 ° 38 0 35.59 E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100109 View Materials ) (3 March 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100105 View Materials ) (16 November 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100114 View Materials ) (25 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Cairns, Copperlode Dam (16 ° 58 0 47.14 ″ S, 145 ° 40 0 26.96 ″ E); 1 juv. ( CRW) (28 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Cairns (16 ° 54 0 49.72 ″ S, 145 ° 46 0 0.45 ″ E); 1♀ ( QMB, S100115 View Materials ) (28 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Crystal Cascades, near Cairns (16 ° 57 0 49.06 ″ S, 145 ° 40 0 4.99 ″ E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100138 View Materials ) (6 November 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 15♂♂, 20♀♀, 9 juv. ( MUB) (22 � 25 March 2014; G. Corcobado, S. Pek ar �) Cairns, Cairns Botanic Gardens (16 ° 53 0 57.563 ″ S, 145 ° 44 0 59.953 ″ E); 1♀ ( MUB) (27 March 2014; G. Corcobado) Townsville, Townsville Botanic Gardens (19 ° 17 0 31.263 ″ S, 146 ° 47 0 9.301 ″ E); 1 juv. ( QMB, S100112 View Materials ) (30 November 2013; I. Macaulay) Daintree National Park GoogleMaps (16 ° 22 0 S, 145 ° 15 0 E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100113 View Materials ) (30 November 2013; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100117 View Materials ) (16 November 2012; I. Macaulay) Cattana Wetlands, near Uni campus in Cairns (16 ° 49 0 48.27 ″ S, 145 ° 42 0 6.14 ″ E); 1♂ ( QMB, S100135 View Materials ) (13 November 2014; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♀ ( QMB, S100116 View Materials ) (23 February 2013; I. Macaulay) Barron Gorge National Park GoogleMaps , car park (16 ° 50 0 11.39 ″ S, 145 ° 38 0 35.28 ″ E); 1♀ ( QMB, S100111 View Materials ) (3 January 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂ ( QMB, S100107 View Materials ) (4 January 2012; I. Macaulay) same locality; 1♂, 2 juv. ( QMB, S41396 View Materials ) (3 January 1972; N. Clyde, N. Coleman) Gordonvale (17 ° 10 0 59.988 ″ S, 145 ° 49 0 59.88 ″ E); 1♀ ( QMB, 62) (2 April 1975; R. Kohout) Homevale, semi-evergreen vine thicket (21 ° 24 0 S, 148 ° 33 0 E); 1♂, 1♀ ( QMB) (30 November 2002; R. Raven) Stradbroke Island GoogleMaps (27 ° 31 0 S, 153 ° 27 0 E); 1♂, 1♀, 1 juv. ( QMB, S401 View Materials ) Iron Ra, Cape York, rainforest (12 ° 43 0 59.988 ″ S, 143 ° 16 0 59.88 ″ E); 1♂, 1♀ ( QMB, S67 View Materials ) (25 March 1975; R. Kohout) Rundle Ra SF, semi-evergreen vine thicket (23 ° 39 0 S, 150 ° 58 0 59.88 ″ E); 1♂ ( AMS, KS.5763) (25 August 1970; R. E. Mascord) Edmonton area GoogleMaps (17 ° 01 0 S, 145 ° 45 0 E); 1♀ ( AMS, KS.110634) (April 1975; M. Gray) Helenvale, south of Cooktown GoogleMaps (15 ° 43 0 S, 145 ° 14 0 E); 1♂ ( QMB, S77 View Materials ) (23 June – 7 July 1976; R. J. Raven, V. E. Davies) Iron Ra NP, Lamond Hill, summit, rainforest (12 ° 43 0 S, 143 ° 18 0 E). Etymology

The forma names are derived from the species name of the ant species that they imitate (see Natural history).

Diagnosis

Most similar to M. bicolor . Both sexes differ from this species by dark-brown to black body coloration, and larger body size. Males of M. macleayana further differ in the presence of apophysis on chelicera, thinner and longer RTA, short straight embolus, and females differ in the shape of copulatory ducts. This species is not diagnosable using DNA data (see below).

Description

Male: Measurements (N = 18): total body length 8.1 mm (5.3 – 9.8 mm), carapace length 3.0 mm (2.2 – 3.6 mm), carapace width 1.6 mm (1.2 – 1.9 mm), chelicera length 2.8 mm (1.5 – 3.3 mm), abdomen length 2.2 mm (1.7 – 2.8 mm), PTB = 0.48. Colour (forma foreli ) ( Fig. S1O View Figure 1 ): overall body colour brown to black, covered with dense white or golden hairs; chelicerae dorsally metallic, covered with white hairs; endites, labium, sternum, and palpal segments brown to dark brown; leg segments dark brown, excepting: Cx I, Mt II, Ta II, and Tr IV, pale; Pt I and IV, ventrally pale; Tr I and II, Ti II, pale with longitudinal dark-brown stripes on sides. Morphology: chelicerae long, protruding, laterodorsally with an apophysis at one-third of their length ( Fig. 10F, H View Figure 10 ); cheliceral prolateral margin anteriorly with five or six strong teeth, retrolateral margin posteriorly with six tiny teeth ( Fig. 10I View Figure 10 ); fangs lightly sinuous, with curved tip ( Fig. 10I View Figure 10 ); prosoma elongate ( Fig. 10A,B View Figure 10 ), cephalic part of carapace convex, higher than thoracic, separated from thoracic part by a deep constriction; Cx I – IV with a process on the inner margin; leg spines: Mt I and II, and Ti I and II each with two ventral pairs; abdomen spherical with a shallow constriction, and two dorsal scuta ( Fig. 10F View Figure 10 ); palpal cymbium oval, with two apical spines; tegulum large, round, embolus coiled twice, sinusoid ( Figs 2I, J, 10J View Figure 10 ); RTA slender, sinusoid, curved outwards, wider at base, flange of RTA developed ( Fig. 10K View Figure 10 ).

Female: Measurements (N = 14): total body length 5.9 mm (4.8 – 7.0 mm), carapace length 2.7 mm (1.1 – 3.1 mm), carapace width 1.3 mm (1.1 – 1.6 mm), chelicera length 0.8 mm (0.7 – 1.0 mm), abdomen length 2.5 mm (1.8 – 3.0 mm). Colour (forma foreli ) ( Fig. S1P View Figure 1 ): as in males, but chelicerae dorsally reticulated, shiny golden, carapace with wedge of white hairs laterally at the constriction; palpal Pt and Ta flattened and dorsally metallic; leg segments as in males, but Fe I and Ti I stripped; constriction on carapace with wedge-shaped patch of white hairs laterally; abdomen with white transverse stripe laterally at the constriction, posteriorly with a small yellow patch ( Fig. 10C, E, G View Figure 10 ). Morphology: as in males, but chelicerae small, cheliceral prolateral margin with seven or eight teeth, retrolateral margin with eight teeth; cephalic part of carapace as high as thoracic part ( Fig. 10D, G View Figure 10 ); epigyne with two large round atria separated by septum, atria two times wider than septum ( Figs 3E View Figure 3 , 10L View Figure 10 ); spermathecae large, elongate, situated in upper part of septum, copulatory ducts not twisted, median pocket wide ( Fig. 10M View Figure 10 ).

Variation

Males of forma robsoni ( Fig. S1M View Figure 1 ) have carapace and abdomen dark brown to black, bold and shiny, except for chelicerae, which have white hairs at the anterior third of their length, clypeus with white hairs, abdomen with a patch of white hairs dorsally at the constriction, leg segments brown, but Cx I, Ta III and IV, Tr IV, pale, Fe I, Mt I, Pt II and IV, Ta II, with pale longitudinal bands on the dorsal side. Females of forma robsoni ( Fig. S1N View Figure 1 ) have coloration as in males, but abdomen dorsally with transverse tiny patch of white hairs. Furthermore, carapace laterally with wedge-shaped patch of white hairs at constriction. The two forms do not differ significantly in size in any measured parameter (ANOVA, P> 0.07).

Natural history

The species is found foraging on many broad-leaf plants, such as palms, on sunny days. The forma foreli occurs in the vicinity of the ants Polyrhachis foreli Kohout, 1989 (grey colour) or Polyrhachis cupreata Emery, 1895 (golden colour), whereas the forma robsoni occurs in the vicinity of the ant Polyrhachis robsoni Kohout, 2006 , which they imitate. Silken retreats are built on the undersides of leaves. The forms occur sympatrically.

Distribution

Australia: QLD ( Fig. 4G View Figure 4 ).

Remarks

Bradley’s type material should be at the University of Sydney but has not been found (H. Smith, pers. commun.). For stability, we designated a neotype. Bradley’s description (verbal and drawings) is detailed enough (even though it lacks a proper description of the palp) to use for identification: specifically, the coloration, size, and shape of chelicera. Furthermore, Bradley collected the specimen near Cooktown, which is near to places where we collected our specimens. The type material of M. jugularis was not available. Simon’s verbal description most closely matches M. macleayana : therefore, we consider M. jugularis a junior synonym.

References

Bradley HB. 1876. On some new forms of Arachnidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1: 220-224.

Rainbow WJ. 1911. A census of Australian Araneidae. Records of the Australian Museum 9: 107-319.

Simon E. 1900. Descriptions d'Arachnides nouveaux de la famille des Attidae. Annales de la Soci ete � � Entomologique de Belgique 44: 381-407.

Simon E. 1901. Histoire naturelle des araignees. Paris 2: 381-668.

Figures

Figure 1. Myrmarachne bicolor: A, right male chelicera, dorsal view; B, left male chelicera, ventral view; C, left male palp, ventral view; D, male palpal tibia, dorsal view; E, epigyne, ventral view; F, vulva. Scale barss: 0.2 mm.

Figure 3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of females: A, Myrmarachne bicolor, epigyne, ventral view; B, Myrmarachne erythrocephala f. erato, epigyne, ventral view; C, Myrmarachne helensmithae sp. nov., epigyne, ventral view; D, Myrmarachne luctuosa f. aeneopilosa, epigyne, ventral view; E, Myrmarachne macleayana f. robsoni, epigyne, ventral view.

Figure 4. Maps of distribution: A, Myrmarachne bicolor; B, Myrmarachne erythrocephala; C, Myrmarachne helensmithae sp. nov.; D, Myrmarachne luctuosa; E, Myrmarachne lupata; Myrmarachne milledgei sp. nov.; F, Myrmarachne macaulayi sp. nov.; G, Myrmarachne macleayana; H, Myrmarachne smaragdina; I, Myrmarachne striatipes; J, Myrmarachne zabkai sp. nov. The size of the points is scaled according to abundance: 1–3 individuals (small); 4–10 individuals (medium);> 10 individuals (large).

Figure 10. Myrmarachne macleayana: A, forma robsoni, male habitus, dorsal view; B, forma foreli, male habitus, dorsal view; C, forma robsoni, female habitus, dorsal view; D, forma foreli, female habitus, lateral view; E, forma foreli, female abdomen, dorsal view; F, forma robsoni, male habitus, lateral view; G, forma robsoni, female habitus, lateral view; H, right male chelicera, dorsal view; I, left male chelicera, ventral view; J, left male palp, ventral view; K, male palpal tibia, dorsal view; L, epigyne, ventral view; M, vulva. Scale bars: A–G, 2 mm; H–M, 0.2 mm.