Xistera coventryi, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 109-112

Xistera coventryi sp. nov.

Figs 2b, e, f , 3a–c , 85–86

“ Miturgidae QLD ”: Ramírez 2014.

Diagnosis. The darkest and amongst the smallest species of the genus, males differ from those of all other species in the RTA forming a short, rudimentary scoop ( Fig. 86b ). Epigyne with two large, rounded lateral lobes.

Etymology. The species epithet is a patronym in honour of one of the collectors, A. John Coventry (1936– 2007), then Senior Curator of Herpetology at the National Museum of Victoria (now Museums Victoria), a highly respected scientist.

Type Material. Victoria: male holotype, 7.5 km ENE Kingower , 36°36’S 143°50 ‘E 26–29 Mar. 1990, A.J. Coventry, MV K4322 .

Paratypes. Victoria: 1 ma., 4.6 km E of Hattah , 34°45’S 142°19’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4487 ; 4 ma., Mallee site K3, 7.5 km ENE of Kingower, 36°36’S 143°50’E, 26–29 Mar 1990, J. Coventry, MV K4322 ; 4 ma., 3.9 km NE of Hattah , 34°45’S 142°19’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4778 ; 2 ma., Mallee site K1, 7 km ENE of Kingower, 36°34’S 143°50’E, 26–29 Mar 1990, J. Coventry, MV K4323 ; 1 ma., 22.7 km N of Millewa Sth Bore , 34°34’S 141°02’E, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4708 ; 1 ma., Mallee Site K14, 7 km SSE of Kingower, 36°36’S 143°50’E, 26–29 Mar 1990, A.J. Coventry, MV K4307 .

New South Wales: Gubatta, pitfall, 24–28 Feb. 1999, D. Driscoll: 1 ma., (site 2G), 33°38’S, 146°33’E, QM S51556 ; 1 ma., (site 3G), 33°35’S, 146°35’E, QM S52344 . Pulletop, pitfall, 24–28 Feb 1999, D. Driscoll: 2 ma., (site 1P), 33°58’S, 146°06’E, QM S51576 ; 1 ma., (site 3P), 34°01’S, 146°04’E, QM S51569 ; 1 ma., (site 3P), 34°01’S, 146°04’E, QM S51536 ; 3 ma., (site 5P), 34°00’S, 146°05’E, QM S50987 . Taleeban, 33°58’S, 146°26’E, pitfall, 23–27 Feb. 1999, D. Driscoll: 2 ma., (site 3 T), QM S50922 , S52345 ; 1 ma., (site 4 T), 33°57’S, 146°27’E, QM S52394 . 1 fem., Pulletop (site 8P), 34°01’S, 146°40’E, spinifex, pitfall, 12–18 Oct 1999, D. Driscoll, QM S52942 .

Queensland: “Merigol”, 26°48’S, 145°49’E, mulga, pitfall, Apr. 2001, T . Beutel : 1 ma., site 10, trap 15, QM S63392 ; 1 ma., site 12, trap 10, QM S63387 ; 1 ma., site 12, trap 5, QM S70025 ; 1 ma., site 12, trap 6, QM S70027 ; 1 ma., site 2, trap 7, 26°47’S, 145°49’E, mulga, pitfall, Apr. 2001, T . Beutel , QM S63393 ; 1 ma., same data but site 3, trap 13, 26°47’S, 145°49’E, QM S63389 ; 1 ma., same data but site 3, trap 14, QM S63396 ; 1 ma., same data but site 4, trap 2, QM S63386 ; 1 ma., site 7, trap 4, QM S63388 ; 1 ma., site 8, trap 4, QM S70029 ; 1 ma., site 8, trap 5, QM S70026 ; 2 ma., same data but site 6, trap 14, QM S70028 ; 1 ma., site 7, trap 15, QM S63383 ; 1 ma., site 9, trap 10, 26°49’S, 145°49’E, QM S63390 ; 1 ma., same data but site 9, trap 7, QM S63395 . 3 ma., Osbourne Mine site, SSE Mt Isa, Site 4A, 22°07’S, 140°34’E, pitfall, received Dec 1996, QM S53611 ; 1 ma., Fleurs Stn (tree clearing), Summer 1998, T . Churchill , QM S106969 ; 2 ma., White Mts NP, 20°27’01”S 114°48’50”E, Royal Geographical Society , 18 Apr 2000, QM S72242 ; 2 ma., Cooloola Village turnoff ( CV1 ), 26°05’S, 153°05’E, CSIRO , Pitfall Trap, Aug-74, QM S53396 1 ma., “ Mt Tenison-Woods , 27°18’S, 152°45’E, 760 m, Pitfall Trap, 22 Jan–8 Apr 1975, QM S39594 .

South Australia: 5 ma., Calperum Homestead , 21k W by N, 33°59’S, 140°30’E, mallee, pitfall & intercept traps, 1–30 Mar. 1995, K. R. Pullen , QM S41777 ; 5 ma., Renmark , 14k WNW, 34°07’S, 140°37’E, mallee on dune, pitfall, 2 May–7 Jun. 1995, K. R. Pullen , QM S39081 , S116677 ; 9 ma., Renmark , 31 km NW, 33°59’S, 140°30’E, mallee, flight/ ground intercept trap, 30 Mar.–2 May 1995, K. R. Pullen , QM S35779 ; 10 ma., SDB 32 km N, 33°53’S, 140°44’E, chenopod scrubland, 29 Mar–3 May 1995, QM S39098 , QM S39097 ; 17 ma., SDB 79 k NNW, 33°31’S, 140°24’E, Casuarina woodland, QM S35778 ; 2 ma., SDB 3 May–6 Jun 1995, A. Lambie, QM S41779 ; 3 ma., Weetootla well, 30°29’S 139°14’E, NN1998.386-88; 1 ma., Murray Mallee, Brookfield CP, 34°22’S, 139°30’E, early 1990, T.A. Morley , SAM NN1998.53 ; 2 ma., Canopus, ca. 65 km N. of Renmark, Danggali Conservation Park , 33°31’S, 140°42’E, 7–18 Apr 1986, S.A. Collins (via A.D. Austin), Pan Trap, WAM98 /809–811.

Description. Male, holotype MV K4322

Carapace 2.04 long, 1.58 wide. Opisthosoma 2.04 long, 1.13 wide. Total, 4.08.

I: 2.90, 1.13, 2.67, 2.47, 1.30, 10.47. II: 2.80, 1.27, 2.47, 2.20, 1.67, 10.41. III: 2.74, 1.07, 2.67, 2.86, 2.07, 11.41. IV: 3.54, 1.13, 3.34, 4.40, 1.80, 14.21. Palp: 0.87, 0.50, 0.50, -, 1.57, 3.44.

Colour. Dark spiders; carapace yellow brown centrally surrounded by wide dark margins and black edging around strial edges distally, along back caput margin and up to PLE. Opisthosoma dorsally gray with two pallid spots on anterior shoulders, some light flecking down and two large pallid spots distally; venter pallid with dark marks near spinnerets. Femora mottled dark brown and yellow with dense pile of light hairs and short dark bristles.

Carapace: With white hairs centrally from PME to just posterior to caput; black setae and some silver hairs in wide marginal zone. Fovea from caput base over carapace slope.

Eyes. Eight in 3 recurved rows; from above almost in 4 rows—front edge of ALE cuts base of back edge of AME, likewise in back row. All eyes of similar size but ALE smallest. PLE behind ALE and look sideways, back and up. Group front width, back width, length, 31:41:30. Sizes: AME, 8; ALE, 6; PME, 9; PLE, 9. AME–AME, 5, AME–ALE, 1; PME–PME, 3; PME–PLE, 7.

Chelicerae. Both margins with 2 teeth. sternum subcircular with pallid setae directed centrally from all corners. Palpal coxae. Anterior half pallid with shallow groove behind it. Labium. With groove around anterior edge.

Legs. with dense pile of hair. Trochanter notches ca. x 2, wider than deep. STC with 4–6 long teeth. Scopula: thin bipartite for 2/3–3/4 of metatarsi I, II, distal clusters on III, IV; denser but still thin on tarsi I–IV, extend just beyond tip as pseudotufts. Spines. I: fe pv1p1d3r2; pa 0; ti p2r2v2.2.2 me p1. r1. v2. II: fe pv1p1d3r2; pa 0; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p1. r1v2.1. III: fe p3d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d2. r2v2.2.2; me p1.2.1r1.2.1v2.2.1. IV: fe p4d3r2; pa 0; ti p2d2.1r2v2.2.2; me p1.1.2r2.1.1.1. v2.2.1. Palp: fe d1.1; pa d1.1 (including 1 apical); ti p5d2; cymbium basodorsal 2.

Spinnerets. Both PLS and ALS long cylinders; PLS about 1/2 diameter of ALS. Apical PLS short, domed; PMS, shorter cylinders.

Palp. Tibia short with proventral keel and apical wedge and glabrous depression ventrally to retroedge. RTA saddle-like; from side basally two short rounded processes from chelae distally a groove of pallid unsclerotised tissue; saddle reflexes ventrally in wide arc and apical is rounded process with lateral fold. Cymbium short; margins narrow, retrobasal edge concealed by tegulum; apical cone very short partially glabrous ventrally; retrolateral margin with slight discontinuity. Median apophysis a short heavily sclerotised blade-like triangle with apical beak-like hook; separated from embolus by narrow groove. Embolus origin probasal, folds directly back under edge of subtegulum terminating just behind median apophysis and cradled by narrow transverse unsclerotised folded conductor. Tegulum large retrolateral dome, extending over edge of cymbium retrobasally. Subtegulum small, narrow with basal and prodistal parts. Cymbium with light scopula in proventral corner in oval area for distal half; no other modified setae evident; 1 spine probasally and 1 retrodorsally on cymbium and cluster of thicker setae apically.

Female QM S52942

Carapace 3.20 long, 3.53 wide. Opisthosoma 3.53 long, 2.53 wide. Total length, 6.7.

I: 2.53; 1.13; 1.93; 1.80; 1.40; 8.80. II: 2.27; 1.13; 1.87; 1.67; 1.33; 8.27. III: 2.40; 1.13; 1.87; 2.07; 1.33; 8.80. IV: 3.20; 1.33; 2.73; 3.33; 1.33; 11.93. Palp: 1.80; 0.73; 0.53; --; 0.80; 3.87.

Colour. Carapace brownish yellow with dark edges and dark broad marginal band with lighter scalloping in it. Opisthosoma dorsally dark brown with no evident pattern; venter pallid. Legs brownish yellow with irregular dark areas on femora (N.B.: not annulations); patellae distoventrally dark; tibiae dorsally dark; metatarsi and tarsi fawn; palpal femora with irregular dark areas subdistally. Eyes. Of similar sizes; grate-shaped tapetum in PME; rows of PER separated by 0.5 diameter of PME. Spines. As for male but palp: fe d1.1.2; pa p1; ti p6; ta p1v2 subdistal. Spinnerets. ALS and PLS of similar size.

Epigyne (as in Fig. 85c, d ). Externally with two large rounded lateral lobes; internally with large wide duct folding from copulatory opening and then back to fertilisation ducts.

Distribution. Known from South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland with one doubtful record from just east of Brisbane.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Miturginae. a, Knotodo gracilis (Hickman, 1950), female, habitus, image Mark Newton; b, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., female, left leg I, showing pseudoscopula hairs parallel to long axis, image, M. Ramírez; c, Miturgopelma spinisternis sp. nov., male, showing inward facing cymbium and bulb; d, Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov., eyes, showing relatively small AME and grate-shaped tapetum in PME; e, f, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., female, tarsal trichobothrium (e), dorsal leg I showing brighter trichobothria (f); g, Miturgopelma echinoides sp. nov., showing relatively large AME.

FIGURE 3. Miturginae spinnerets, females: a–c, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., a, ALS; b, PMS, c, PLS: images, M. Ramírez; d, e, Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov., female, lateral (d), and ventral (e) views; f, Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov., male, showing large ALS. Unlike in Miturga, the apical segment of the PLS is short and domed or triangular. g, h, Miturga lineata Thorell, 1870, female, g, habitus, h, spinnerets showing long digitiform apical segment of PLS.

FIGURE 85. Xistera coventryi sp. nov., male holotype, MV K4322: a, b, palp, bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, retrolateral view; c, d, female, MV K4317: c, epigyne, ventral view; d, internal genitalia, dorsal view; e, male, habitus, dorsal view; f, female, QM S50987, opisthosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 86. Xistera coventryi sp. nov., male, QM S106969: palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, retrolateral view.