Gippsicola minuta Giroti & Brescovit, 2017, new species

Gippsicola minuta new species

Figure 10–11

Type material. Male holotype from Bellenden Ker Range [17°14'S; 145°52'E], alt. 1054m, Queensland, Australia, 17–24.X.1981, Earthwatch / Queensland Museum leg. (QM S 30615).

Addition material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Bellenden Ker Range [17°14'S; 145°52'E], Alt. 1054M, 1 imm., 17–24.X.1981, Earthwatch / Queensland Museum leg. (ex-QM S30615).

Etymology. The specific name is an adjective referring to the minute size of this species.

Diagnosis. Gippsicola minuta n. sp. differ from the other species by its conspicuously minute size, male palp cymbium distally tapered (Figs 10 C–E) compared to the other species (Fig. 3 B), with a group of macrosetae, and a tibia shorter than the cymbium, as wide as long. This species presents a whitish dorsally abdomen, with an anterior dark arrow-shaped mark, and longitudinal paired dark spots (Figs 10 A–B).

Description. Male (Holotype). Carapace and chelicerae orange, with cephalic region slightly darker (Fig. 10 A). Endites yellowish orange; labium orange. Sternum yellowish orange with darker margins (Fig. 10 B). Palps yellowish orange (Figs 10 C–E). Legs yellowish orange, with pairs I–II darker. Abdomen greyish ventrally, with a longitudinal whitish band (Fig. 10 B). Total length 3.25; carapace 1.45 long, 1.2 wide. Palps: tibia with dorsoventral diameter shorter than the bulb; bulb sub-rectangular; embolus short (Figs 10 C–D). Legs robust and clothed with setae, with the scopulae of tenent setae reduced on pairs I–III. Leg formula: II-I-IV-III. Leg measurements: I femur 1.18, patella 0.45, tibia 1.02, metatarsus 0.88, tarsus 0.3, total 3.83; II 1.1, 0.55, 1.1, 0.88, 0.3, 3.93; III 1.0, 0.48, 0.88, 0.75, 0.3, 3.41; IV 1.1, 0.5, 0.95, 0.75, 0.3, 3.6. Leg macrosetae: I femur d0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0; tibia p0-1-0- 1-0-1-0, vp1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, v0-0-0/1-0-1-0-0, vr1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0/1; metatarsus vp1-0-1-0-1, v0, vr1-0-1-0- 1/0; II femur d0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0, p0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0; tibia p0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0, vp0, v0, vr1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-1; metatarsus vp1-0-1-0-1, vr1-0-1-0-1; IV femur D0-0-1-0-0/1-0-1-0-0; tibia v0-1-0-0-1-0-0, vr0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1; metatarsus vp1-0-0-1/0-0-1, vr metatarsal comb with 9 macrosetae. Abdomen uniformly clothed with setae (Figs 10 A–B).

Female. Unknown.

Natural history. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality (Fig. 11).