Difference between revisions of "Zephyrarchaea barrettae"

Latest revision as of 16:02, 7 May 2012

Taxonavigation

Ordo: Araneae
Familia: Archaeidae
Genus: Zephyrarchaea

Name

Zephyrarchaea barrettae Rix & Harvey sp. n. – Wikispecies link – ZooBank link – Pensoft Profile

Vernacular name

Talyuberlup Assassin Spider

Type material

AUSTRALIA: Holotype male: Stirling Range National Park, Talyuberlup Peak, Western Australia, Australia, 34°24'21"S, 117°57'08"E, sifting elevated leaf litter under Lepidosperma sedges near summit, 4.VIII.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey (WAM T117055DNA: TA-154-M).
Paratypes: Allotype female and 2 juveniles, same data as holotype except 8.II.2009, M. Harvey (WAM T97466DNA: TA-156-J/TA-157-J).

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Stirling Range National Park: same data as holotype, 1 juvenile (WAM T94089DNA: TA-155-J); Talyuberlup Peak, 34°24'20"S, 117°57'06"E, sifting elevated and low leaf litter, montane vegetation around rocky peak, 752 m, 12 April 2009, H. Wood, 1♂, 2♀ (CASENT 9028379); same data, 1♀ (CASENT 9034515).

Etymology

The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Sarah Barrett, for first discovering assassin spiders in the Stirling Range National Park in 1996.

Diagnosis

Zephyrarchaea barrettae can be distinguished from Zephyrarchaea janineae and Zephyrarchaea mainae by the absence of dorsal hump-like tubercles on the abdomen (Figs 15A–B); from Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n., Zephyrarchaea marki, Zephyrarchaea porchi sp. n. and Zephyrarchaea vichickmani sp. n. by the shape of tegular sclerites 2–3, which do not project beyond the retro-distal rim of the tegulum (Figs 15D–E); and from Zephyrarchaea melindae by the shape of the anterior margin of the diastema adjacent to the ‘neck’, which is slightly (in females) or strongly concave in lateral view (in males) (Figs 15A–B cf. Figs 14A–B). Females further distinguished from other known congeners by the combination of a spherical abdomen (Fig. 15A), shallow post-ocular depression in lateral view (Fig. 9I), taller carapace (CH/CL ratio > 1.70) (Figs 7, 15A) and slightly concave anterior margin of the diastema adjacent to the ‘neck’ (Fig. 15A).

Description

Holotype male: Total length 3.13; leg I femur 2.19; F1/CL ratio 1.92. Cephalothorax dark reddish-brown; legs tan brown with darker annulations; abdomen mottled grey-brown and beige, with reddish-brown dorsal scute and sclerites (Fig. 15B). Carapace relatively short (CH/CL ratio 1.71); 1.14 long, 1.95 high, 1.13 wide; ‘neck’ 0.67 wide; highest point of pars cephalica (HPC) approaching posterior third of ‘head’ (ratio of HPC to post-ocular length 0.59), carapace with shallow concave depression anterior to HPC; ‘head’ not strongly elevated dorsally (post-ocular ratio 0.21) (Fig. 8F). Chelicerae with proximal brush and additional comb of accessory setae on anterior face of paturon (Fig. 15C). Abdomen 1.59 long, 1.21 wide; almost spherical in lateral profile, without dorsal hump-like tubercles; dorsal scute fused anteriorly to epigastric sclerites, extending posteriorly to cover anterior two-thirds of dorsal abdomen. Unexpanded pedipalp (Figs 15D–F) pyriform, with broad, distally curved embolus supported by conductor sclerites 1–2; tegular sclerite 1 (TS 1) strongly curved, claw-like in prolateral view, with twisted, flattened and broadly rounded apex; TS 2–3 not projecting beyond retro-distal rim of tegulum.
Allotype female: Total length 3.64; leg I femur 2.31; F1/CL ratio 1.77. Cephalothorax dark reddish-brown; legs tan brown with darker annulations; abdomen variably beige-grey (Fig. 15A). Carapace relatively short (CH/CL ratio 1.78); 1.31 long, 2.33 high, 1.26 wide; ‘neck’ 0.78 wide; highest point of pars cephalica (HPC) approaching posterior third of ‘head’ (ratio of HPC to post-ocular length 0.59), carapace with shallow concave depression anterior to HPC; ‘head’ not strongly elevated dorsally (post-ocular ratio 0.22) (Fig. 9I). Chelicerae without accessory setae on anterior face of paturon. Abdomen 1.90 long, 1.69 wide; spherical in lateral profile, without dorsal hump-like tubercles. Internal genitalia (Fig. 15G) with cluster of ≤ 15 sausage-shaped spermathecae either side of gonopore, clusters widely separated along midline of genital plate.

Distribution and habitat

Zephyrarchaea barrettae is known only from the summit of Talyuberlup Peak, in the western Stirling Range National Park of southern Western Australia (west of Chester Pass) (Fig. 25). Specimens have been collected by beating and sifting sedges (Lepidosperma sp.) in montane heathland.

Conservation status

This species is a short-range endemic taxon (Harvey 2002b^[1]), with a maximum total range of less than 10 km2, and all known populations in the western Stirling Range National Park potentially threatened by fire, dieback disease (affecting montane vegetation) and climate change.

Original Description

• Rix, M; Harvey, M; 2012: Australian Assassins, Part II: A review of the new assassin spider genus Zephyrarchaea (Araneae, Archaeidae) from southern Australia ZooKeys, 191: 1-62. doi

Images

Figure 1. Habitus images of live Archaeidae from southern Australia: A paratype female Zephyrarchaea vichickmani sp. n. from Acheron Gap, Central Highlands, Victoria; B holotype male Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n. from Talyuberlup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia; C paratype female Zephyrarchaea janineae sp. n. from Karri Valley, Western Australia; D male Zephyrarchaea marki sp. n. from Thistle Cove, Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia; E female Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick) from William Bay National Park, Western Australia; F female Zephyrarchaea mainae from Bremer Bay, Western Australia.  Figure 5. Carapace morphology of Zephyrarchaea species. A–B, Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick): A, male pars cephalica, dorso-lateral view, showing accessory setae (AS) on and adjacent to proximal cheliceral bulge; B, female pars cephalica, antero-lateral view, showing cheliceral foramen (CF) and ocular bulge (OB). C–D, Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n.: C, male cephalothorax, antero-lateral view; D, male pars cephalica and chelicerae, frontal view, showing dorsal ‘head’ region and cheliceral foramen (CF). E, Cheliceraeof male Zephyrarchaea mainae, lateral view, showing proximal accessory setae (AS) and ectal stridulatory file (SF). F–G, Detail of carapace of male Zephyrarchaea marae, lateral view, showing granulate cuticle and setose tubercles (sT).   Figure 7. Graphs depicting the relationship between carapace length (CL) and carapace height (CH) for species of Zephyrarchaea. Smaller grey dots denote species of Austrarchaea (see Rix and Harvey 2011[2]); boxes denote the three lineages of Zephyrarchaea from Victoria/South Australia, the Stirling Range and elsewhere in southern Western Australia.   Figure 8. Lateral ‘head’ profiles of males of species of Zephyrarchaea, showing variation in carapace shape as quantified by the post-ocular ratio (P.O. Ratio) and ratio of highest point of carapace relative to post-ocular length (HPC Ratio): A, holotype Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n., showing the derivation of morphometric ratios; B, holotype Zephyrarchaea vichickmani sp. n.; C, holotype Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n.; D, holotype Zephyrarchaea porchi sp. n.; E, holotype Zephyrarchaea melindae sp. n.; F, holotype Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n.; G, holotype Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick, 1991b); H, holotype Zephyrarchaea marki sp. n.; I, holotype Zephyrarchaea janineae sp. n.   Figure 9. Lateral ‘head’ profiles of females of species of Zephyrarchaea, showing variation in carapace shape as quantified by the post-ocular ratio (P.O. Ratio) and ratio of highest point of carapace relative to post-ocular length (HPC Ratio) (see Fig. 8): A, allotype Zephyrarchaea vichickmani sp. n.; B, allotype Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n.; C, holotype Zephyrarchaea grayi sp. n.; D, holotype Zephyrarchaea austini sp. n.; E, Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick, 1991b); F, allotype Zephyrarchaea janineae sp. n.; G, holotype Zephyrarchaea robinsi (Harvey, 2002a); H, allotype Zephyrarchaea melindae sp. n.; I, allotype Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n.  Figure 14. Zephyrarchaea melindae sp. n. A–B, Cephalothorax and abdomen, lateral view: A, allotype female (WAM T97468) from Toolbrunup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia; B, holotype male (WAM T118986) from Mount Hassell, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia. C, Holotype male chelicerae, lateral view, showing accessory setae. D–F, Holotype male pedipalp: D–E, bulb, retrolateral view, with inset showing twisted apex of tegular sclerite 1 in retroventral view; F, detail of distal tegular sclerites, prolateral view. G, Allotype female internal genitalia, dorsal view. C1–2 = conductor sclerites 1–2; E = embolus; GP = genital plate; T = tegulum; (TS)1 = tegular sclerite 1. Scale bars: A–B = 1.0 mm; E = 0.2 mm.   Figure 15. Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n. A–B, Cephalothorax and abdomen, lateral view: A, allotype female (WAM T97466) from Talyuberlup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia; B, holotype male (WAM T117055) from Talyuberlup Peak, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia. C, Holotype male chelicerae, lateral view, showing accessory setae. D–F, Holotype male pedipalp: D–E, bulb, retrolateral view, with inset showing twisted apex of tegular sclerite 1 in retroventral view; F, detail of distal tegular sclerites, prolateral view. G, Allotype female internal genitalia, dorsal view. C1–2 = conductor sclerites 1–2; E = embolus; GP = genital plate; H = distal haematodocha; T = tegulum; (TS)1 = tegular sclerite 1. Scale bars: A–B = 1.0 mm; E = 0.2 mm.   Figure 25. Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n., distribution and habitat: A, topographic map showing the known distribution of Archaeidae in south-western Western Australia, with collection localities for Zephyrarchaea barrettae highlighted in yellow; B, satellite image showing detail of inset (A); C, view from Stirling Range Drive showing the type locality – Talyuberlup Peak, Stirling Range National Park (August 2008). Image (C) by M. Rix.

Other References

1. ↑ Harvey M (2002b) Short-range endemism among the Australian fauna: some examples from non-marine environments. Invertebrate Systematics 16: 555-570. doi: 10.1071/IS02009
2. ↑ Rix M, Harvey M (2012) Phylogeny and historical biogeography of ancient assassin spiders (Araneae: Archaeidae) in the Australian mesic zone: evidence for Miocene speciation within Tertiary refugia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62: 375-396. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.009