Austropholcomma walpole Rix & Harvey 2010, sp. n.

Austropholcomma walpole Rix & Harvey, sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: EC837C80-F60C-480F-9650-305D9AD1AC8D

Figs 33C, 34–35, 214

Type material. Holotype male: Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Giant Tingle Area, 8 km NE. of Walpole, Western Australia, Australia, mixed Eucalyptus litter, 19.XII.1976, J. Kethley (WAM T94438).

Paratypes: Allotype female, same data as holotype (WAM T94439); 3 males and 18 females, same data as holotype (WAM T94440); 2 males and 6 females, same data as holotype (FMC).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Anderson Road, near Valley of the Giants Road, 120 m, Tingle- Allocasuarina -Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forest, Berlese leaf and bark litter, 34°59'29"S, 116°52'21"E, 2.VIII.2004, Newton, Thayer et al., 6♁, 12♀ (FMC); Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Anderson Road, near Valley of the Giants Road, Tingle-Karri forest, leaf litter Tullgren funnel, 34°59'32"S, 116°52'17"E, 3.V.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 2♁, 4♀ (WAM T94460); Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Shedley Drive, fungi and bark litter, 22.VI.1980, S. & J. Peck, 1♁ (AMNH); Mount Frankland National Park, Mount Frankland, 29 km N. of Walpole, unburned litter below switch-back in Forestry Road, 15.XII.1976, J. Kethley, 1♁, 2♀ (FMC); same data, 3♁, 12♀ (FMC); same data, 7♁, 19♀ (FMC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males and females of Austropholcomma walpole can be distinguished from A. florentine by the presence of only six eyes (Fig. 34C), with the AME reduced to barely-visible vestigial eye spots.

Description. Holotype male: Total length 0.67. Carapace 0.31 long, 0.25 wide. Abdomen 0.45 long, 0.36 wide. Leg I femur 0.24. Cephalothorax, abdominal sclerites, legs tan-yellow; abdomen cream. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view. Six eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; AME reduced to barely-visible vestigial eye spots; PME separated by their own diameter. Chelicerae each with large, bulging anterior projection; promargin with single peg tooth and modified, proximally-flattened peg tooth-like seta projecting from fused setal socket. Legs relatively short (leg I femur-carapace ratio 0.77); macrosetae absent. Abdomen oval-globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute large, covering most of dorsal surface of abdomen; lateral sclerotic strips present. Pedipalpal patella with distally-directed, flanged lRPA and large, flange-like distal apophysis; tegulum smooth, without processes, with curved ETR; embolus long (length> 5× width), bifurcate, with proximal portion looping once around margin of tegulum, distal portion coiled and intertwined (Fig. 35).

Allotype female: Total length 0.71. Carapace 0.31 long, 0.25 wide. Abdomen 0.51 long, 0.40 wide. Leg I femur 0.22. Cephalothorax, abdominal sclerites, legs tan-yellow; abdomen cream. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view. Six eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; AME reduced to barely-visible vestigial eye spots; PME separated by slightly less than their own diameter. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections; promargin without peg teeth. Legs relatively short (leg I femurcarapace ratio 0.71); macrosetae absent. Abdomen oval-globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute absent; lateral sclerotic strips present. Pedipalp very small, vestigial, three-segmented. Epigyne with distinctive external morphology (Fig. 34D); spermathecae globular, ‘tear-drop’ shaped; insemination ducts coiled around arched fertilisation ducts, insemination ducts with sclerotised proximal portion and expanded, membranous distal portion (Fig. 33C).

Distribution. Known only from the far south coast of south-western Western Australia, in the area immediately surrounding Walpole (Walpole-Nornalup National Park and Mount Frankland National Park) (Fig. 214).

Remarks. Austropholcomma walpole appears to be a short-range endemic taxon (Harvey 2002), and is probably restricted to the tall, wet, Karri and Tingle (Eucalyptus spp.) forests surrounding Walpole. The species occurs in sympatry with several other micropholcommatine and taphiassine species, and shares a similar, southern coastal distribution with Micropholcomma linnaei (see Rix 2008) and Normplatnicka barrettae sp. n. (see below) (Fig. 214).