Venator Hogg 1900

Genus Venator Hogg, 1900

Venator Hogg, 1900: 115.

Type species. Venator spenceri Hogg, 1900: 115 (by original designation). The gender is masculine (Venator — hunter, Latin).

Diagnosis. Somatic characters such as size and colouration place Venator close to Knoelle Framenau, 2006 and Costacosa; however, females differ by a raised epigynal atrium that forms an edge against the median septum (Figs 3E, 3G, 5E), which corresponds to a retrolateral incision in the tegular apophysis of the male pedipalp in most species (Fig. 3C) (but not V. immansuetus (Simon, 1909) comb. nov.; Fig. 5C). Together with the typical somatic colouration of spiders in the genus, in particular the black shield covering approximately three quarters of the venter (Figs 2B, 2D, 4B, 4D), these characters are not known to occur in any other wolf spider genus in Australia or world-wide.

Generic description. Small to large wolf spiders (TL 9.0–22.0 mm). Males slightly smaller than females. Carapace longer than wide, dorsal profile straight in lateral view in smaller species. Carapace colouration brown to dark brown with darker radial pattern and light median band and head region and irregular light lateral bands. Abdomen dorsally with median chevron-pattern, ventrally light brown with black anterior patch covering about three quarters of venter. AME larger than ALE, row of AE slightly procurved. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth with the median largest and three retromarginal teeth with the apical smallest. Leg formula IV> I> II> III.

Tegulum of male pedipalp undivided; tegular apophysis with distinct, ventral spur and retrolaterally incised (Fig. 3C) (not in V. immansuetus comb. nov.) (Fig. 5C). Embolus originating prolaterally on palea and curving ventrally around it, long and slender. Terminal apophysis and pars pendula sickle-shaped (Figs 3D, 5D). Female epigyne with inverted T-shaped median septum, longer than wide, atrium elevated, forming distinct edge against median septum (Figs 3E, 5E); spermathecal heads spherical; spermathecal stalks slightly bent or straight (Figs 3F, 5F).

Included species. Venator spenceri, V. immansuetus comb. nov.

Remarks. Venator marginatus is considered incerta sedis as the genital morphology of the female does not correspond to the genus diagnosis and description provided here (Fig. 6).

Venator spenceri Hogg, 1900 (Figs 1A, 2A–D, 3A–G, 7)

Venator spenceri Hogg 1900: 116 –118, plate 17, figs 2, 4A–E.— Rainbow 1911: 274; Roewer 1955: 307; Roewer 1960: 780; McKay 1973: 381; McKay 1985: 87.

Lycosa clara ? L. Koch. 1877.— Hogg 1905: 590 (misidentification; McKay 1979: 252).

Material examined. Holotype. Female, Macedon [37°25’S, 144°34’E, Victoria] (BMNH 1907.2.24.6).

Other material examined. 191 records (110 males, 178 females) (Appendix A).

Diagnosis. Male V. spenceri differ from V. immansuetus comb. nov. by the presence of a retrolateral incision of the tegular apophysis. The edge of the epigyne atrium towards the medium septum is smooth in female V. spenceri, whereas it is irregular in V. immansuetus comb. nov.

Description. Male (based on WAM T53755 from Adelaide, South Australia): Carapace. Brown; distinct dark radial pattern; light brown median band; irregular light brown submarginal bands (Fig. 2A); brown setae, but white setae in median and submarginal bands and in eye region. Eyes. Row of anterior eyes slightly procurved and narrower than row of PME. Sternum. Black; black setae, which are denser and longer towards margins (Fig. 2B). Labium. Very dark brown; front end truncated and white. Chelicerae. Very dark reddish-brown; covered with white setae and silvery macrosetae basally; three promarginal teeth, the median largest; three retromarginal teeth with the basally smallest. Pedipalp (Figs 3A–D). Cymbium with ca. 5 macrosetae; tegular apophysis retrolaterally incised (Fig. 3C); embolus and pars pendula slender and sickle-shaped, terminal apophysis very broad through apical lamella (Fig. 3D). Abdomen. Olive-brown with broad light median band that incorporates chevron pattern (Fig. 2A). Venter yellow-brown with large black patch covering ca. three quarters behind epigastric furrow (Fig. 2B). Spinnerets light brown. Legs. Leg formula IV> I> II> III; light brown, with irregular darker pigmentation; coxae ventrally partially blackened with intensity decreasing from leg I to IV; dense scopulate setae ventrally on tarsi and metatarsi of leg I and II. Spination of leg I: femur: 3 dorsal, 3 retrolateral, 2 apicoprolateral; patella: 1 prolateral, 1 retrolateral; tibia: 3 ventral pairs, 2 prolateral, 2 retrolateral; metatarsus: 3 ventral pairs, 3 prolateral, 3 retrolateral, 1 apicoventral.

Female (based on WAM T64071 from Adelaide, South Australia): Carapace. As male but faint light radial pattern present (Figs 1A, 2C). Labium, sternum, chelicerae. As male (Fig. 2D). Abdomen. As male, mottled pattern darker and heart mark less distinct (Fig. 2C). Venter and spinnerets as male (Fig. 2D). Epigyne. Median septum inverted T-shaped, atrium elevated with smooth edge towards median septum (Figs 3E, G); spermathecal heads spherical, much wider than spermathecal stalks, spermathecal stalks slightly bent (Fig. 3F). Legs. Leg formula IV> I> II> III; colouration as male; dense scopulate setae on tarsi and metatarsi of all legs and apical half of tibiae I. Spination of leg I: Femur: 2 dorsal, 2 retrolateral, 1 apicoprolateral; patella: 1 prolateral; tibia: 3 ventral pairs, 2 prolateral; metatarsus: 3 ventral pairs, 1 apicoventral.

Measurements. Male WAM T53755 (female WAM T64071): TL 10.85 (17.80), CL 6.01 (8.32), CW 4.84 (6.21). Eyes: AME 0.32 (0.42), ALE 0.20 (0.35), PME 0.65 (0.91), PLE 0.56 (0.75). Row of eyes: ALE 1.28 (1.76), PME 1.54 (2.12), PLE 1.89 (2.68). Sternum (length/width) 2.63/2.38 (3.10/2.89). Labium (length/width) 0.86/0.81 (1.25/1.19). AL 5.40 (10.31), AW 3.60 (7.02). Legs: Lengths of segments (femur + patella/tibia +metatarsus + tarsus = total length): Pedipalp 1.89 + 1.70 + - + 1.45 = 5.04, I 5.52 + 6.76 +4.95 + 2.72 = 19.95, II 5.29 + 6.48 + 4.82 + 2.63 = 19.22, III 4.75 + 5.41 + 4.85 + 2.53 = 17.54, IV 6.29 + 7.06 + 5.74 + 3.36 = 22.45 (Pedipalp 2.69 + 3.41 + - + 2.12 = 8.22, I 5.75 + 6.76 + 3.94 + 2.42 = 18.87, II 5.14 + 6.30 + 3.86 + 2.40 = 17.70, III 4.78 + 5.78 + 4.10 + 2.47 = 17.13, IV 6.20 + 7.00 + 5.66 + 2.65 = 21.51).

Variation. Males (females) TL 9.50–12.25; n = 11 (TL 14.85–21.70; n = 8).

Remarks. Hogg (1905) reported “ Lycosa clara ? L. Koch, 1877” from Goolwa in South Australia, but McKay (1979, p. 252) corrected this identification to V. spenceri. I examined the respective specimens, four females lodged in the SAM (NN453–6), and they are V. spenceri and not Knoelle clara (L. Koch, 1877), which represents a monotypic genus from northern Australia (Framenau 2006).

Data on specimen labels suggest a habitat preference for dry sclerophyll forests, including those of Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens), Box-Ironbark (Eucalypts spp), Cypress Pine (Callitris spp.), River Red Gum (E. camaldulensis) and Coolibah (E. microtheca). It is not uncommon to find wandering male V. spenceri in houses near or in these forests.

Phenological data can be derived from the analysis of 191 records of the material examined (110 male, 179 females). Highest reproductive activity documented by largest capture rates, in particular of males, are March to May with a peak in April. The hottest (January, February) and colder months (June–October) see little activity; males have not been found at all in January and February. This suggests a similar phenology as for V. immansuetus comb. nov., a species of which the life history was studied in detail (Lane 1965) (see below).

Distribution. South-eastern Australia, from southern Queensland into South Australia, absent in Tasmania (Fig. 7).