Corresponding author: Peter Michalik (
Academic editor: Jeremy Miller
The recently described cribellate gradungulid
The family
We observed a total of 47 specimens (juveniles, females, one male) in the localities depicted in
Distribution map of
For the micro-CT analyses of the male palp, the sample was dehydrated in graded ethanol and stained with a 1% iodine solution for 12 hours. After washing in pure ethanol, the sample was scanned in ethanol with an Xradia MicroXCT-200 X-ray imaging system (Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy Inc., Pleasanton, USA) at 20 KV and 4 W (10.0 scintillator-objective lens unit, 11 s exposure time, 2.18 µm pixel size). The female genitalia were digested with enzymatic cleaner for contact lenses Ultrazyme, and dried after the iodine treatment using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). The scan was performed using the same system at 30 kV and 6 W (20.0 scintillator-objective lens unit, 6 s exposure time, 1.18 µm pixel size). The obtained data were processed using the 3D analysis software AMIRA v. 5.4.2 (Visage Imaging, Berlin, Germany). The spermophor was reconstructed by delineation of the contours in each section and a smooth surface was computed using the surface editor. The image stack is stored in MorphDBase under creative commons attribution (ID: P_Michalik_20130802-M-5.1,
anterior lateral eyes
anterior median eyes
bursa
basal hematodocha
cymbium
embolus
epigastric furrow
glands
genital pockets
muscle 29
muscle 30
median apophysis
median hematodocha
process of embolus
postepigastric fold
posterior lateral eyes
posterior median eyes
spermophor
spermatheca
subtegulum
tegulum
uterus externus
tendon of muscle 29
tendon of muscle 30
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Museum of Victoria (Melbourne, Victoria)
Zoologisches Institut und Museum Greifswald (Germany)
Male holotype: AUSTRALIA: Victoria. Otway Ranges, Aire Crossing Track, 0.5 km N of Aire River crossing,
AUSTRALIA: VICTORIA: Great Otway National Park: Little Aire Cascade Trail, E of Lavers Hill,
This species can be distinguished from
(
Somatic characters of the female of
Female genitalia.
(mm, in MV). Carapace length 6.92; carapace width 4.66; caput width 2.66; abdomen length 8.51; abdomen width 7.18. Legs: length of segments (femur + patella/tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I 11.97 + 14.10 + 11.57 + 2.66 = 40.30, II 9.31 + 10.77 + 8.25 + 2.53 = 30.86, III 7.98 + 9.18 + 7.85 + 2.13 = 27.14, IV 9.98 + 10.91 + 9.44 + 2.13 = 32.46, palp 2.93 + 2.66 + - + 2.79 = 8.38.
Carapace yellowish brown, darker on cephalic area, particularly in eye region. Chelicerae, maxillae and labium reddish brown. Sternum reddish brown marginally, paler centrally. Legs yellowish brown. Abdomen fawn-coloured with dark brown dorsal pigmentation consisting of 3 chevron markings. Carapace longer than wide, widest between coxae II and III. Cephalic area elevated behind eyes (
Frontal view (
Strong, vertical, slightly divergent. Three strong prolateral teeth, evenly spaced. Five very small retromarginal teeth (or denticles) in row on basal half of groove, with a spine on the apico-dorsal side. Stridulatory ridges absent.
Subparallel, external margin strongly curved and ending anteriorly in a bluntly pointed apex (
Free. Length 0.83, width 0.87. Apical margin indented, lateral margin subparallel below, sloping in toward apex above (
Length 3.33, width 2.20. Elongate, shield-shaped with pointed apex which extends back midway between coxae IV (
1423. Trochanters shallowly notched. Superior claws of 1st and 2nd legs dissimilar, with raptorial proclaws long and strongly developed (
(Approximate, slightly asymmetrical.) Femur I d (r2p1)-r2-r1-p1-1-2-p1-2-p1-2-2-3ap v 0-p1-0-0-0; patella r 1; tibia d 2-0-2-p1-0-p1-3 v 2-0-0-2-p1-0-2-0; metatarsus d r1-p1-p1-0-0-0-0 v p1-r1-p1-p1-r1-p1-r1-2ap; II; femur d (r2p1)-r2-2-p1-2-p1-2- 2-p1-3 v 0-p1-1-0-0; patella p 1; tibia d 2-p1-1-2-2-p1-p1-1-3 v 2-0-p1-r1-p1-2-0-2ap; metatarsus d 2-p1-2-r1-p1-r1-p1-p1-2ap v p1-r1-2-2-r1-p1-3ap; III; femur d (r3p1)-1-r1-2-p1-2-2-2-r1-3 v r1-p1-2-0-0; patella p 1 d 1 r 1; tibia d 2-1-p1-3-2-2 v 2-0-p1-r1-p1-2ap; metatarsus d 2-p1-p1-r1-p1-2- 2ap v 2-p1-p1-r1-p1-p1-r1-3ap; tarsus v 0-r1-0; IV femur d (r4p2)-r2-1-r2-p1-2-2-2-3 v 0-p1-p1-0-0-0; patella p 1 d 1; tibia d 2-2-p1-1-3-r1 v 2-0-0-p1-p1-2ap; metatarsus d 2-p1-2-r1-2ap v p1-2-p1-p1-p1-2-r1-3ap; tarsus v 0-1-0.
Single claw. Spines: femur d 0-0-1-1-3ap patella p 1 d 1-1, tibia d 1-1, p 0-2-0; tarsus d 2-2-1-2-3ap v 2-2-2ap.
Cribellum undivided, with narrow spinning field, as wide as basal span of anterior spinnerets (
Genital area distinct and dome-shaped (
(ZIMG II/28127;
Right male palp of
Tegulum with short median apophysis. Embolus tube-like with a solid single hook-shaped process; tip of the embolus widened and hyaline; fundus sac-like, spermophor with an internal band delimited by two parallel ridges (
The web structure is similar to
Endemic to the Great Otway National Park (Victoria). In addition to the locations reported by
Our data are in accordance with the previous detailed descriptions on the distribution and natural history of
The female genitalia of
As revealed by micro-CT analysis of the male palpal organ of
We are very grateful to Mike Rix (WMA, Perth, Australia) for advice regarding the localities and helpful comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG Mi 1255/5-1), CONICET (PIP 112-200801-03209) and ANPCyT (FONCyT, PICT-2007-01393). The material was collected under the permit number 10006549 (Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria). Mark Harvey (WMA, Perth, Australia) suggested the common name for this species.