Synsphyronus spatiosus Harvey, sp. nov.

{zoologyFigureCitations}

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/6B24D43F-5F8B-4BCB-B153-85EFD3DD45D1

Material examined

Holotype

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: ♂, Walga Rock, 27°24’03”S, 117°28’06”E, 2 July 2004, under granite rocks, M.S. Harvey (WAM T140404).

{p}

Paratypes

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 16 ♂, 9 ♀, 4 tritonymphs, 2 deutonymphs, collected with holotype (WAM T140405–T140416, T146821, T155369–T155372).

Other material

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 ♂ (without abdomen), collected with holotype (WAM T64683).

{botanyFigureCitations}

Figures 18–25. Synsphyronus spatiosus, sp. nov.: 18–21, male holotype (WAM T140404): 18, dorsal; 19, ventral; 20, cephalothorax, dorsal; 21, left chelal fingers, retrolateral; 22–25, female paratype (WAM T140409): 22, dorsal; 23, ventral; 24, cephalothorax, dorsal; 25, left chelal fingers, retrolateral. Scale lines = 1 mm.

Figures 26–34. Synsphyronus spatiosus, sp. nov., male holotype (WAM T140404), unless stated otherwise: 26, carapace, dorsal; 27, left ocular region, dorsal; 28, right pedipalp, dorsal; 29, left rallum, lateral; 30, left leg IV, lateral; 31, left chela, retrolateral; 32, chelal teeth, retrolateral; 33, left chela, setae omitted, retrolateral, tritonymph (WAM T140413); 34, left chela, setae omitted, retrolateral, deutonymph (WAM T146821). Scale lines = 1.0 mm (Figures 28); 0.5 mm (Figures 26, 39, 31, 33, 34); 0.2 mm (Figures 27, 32); 0.1 mm (Figure 29).

Diagnosis

Synsphyronus spatiosus most closely resembles those species of the genus that possess 8 trichobothria on the fixed chelal finger, 3 trichobothria on the movable chelal finger (Figure 31) and have separate metatarsi and tarsi (Figure 30): S. absitus Harvey, 1987, S. amplissimus Harvey, 1987, S. apimelus Harvey, 1987, S. attiguus Harvey, 1987, S. bounites Harvey, 1987, S. christopherdarwini Harvey, 2012, S. dewae Beier, 1969, S. dorothyae Harvey, 1987, S. gigas Beier, 1971, S. gracilis Harvey, 1987, S. gurdoni Harvey, Abrams & Burger, 2015, S. hansenii (With, 1908), S. mimulus Chamberlin, 1943, S. patricki Cullen & Harvey, 2021, S. samueli Cullen & Harvey, 2021 and S. silveirai Harvey, 1987, all from Australia, and S. platnicki Harvey, 2020 from New Caledonia. It differs from most of these species by the very long, elongate chela (Figure 28) and especially the chelal hand which is 2.77‒2.91 (♂), 2.40–2.55 (♀) × longer than broad. It further differs from these species as follows: from S. bounites, S. dorothyae, S. hansenii and S. silveirai by the broad anterior eye (Figure 27), which is about the same size as the posterior eye (the others have a narrowed eye); from S. absitus, S. attiguus, S. dewae, S. gigas and S. mimulus by the procurved pedipalpal femur (Figure 28) but nearly straight in the others; from S. christopherdarwini by the position of trichobothrium st which is situated closer to t than to b in S. spatiosus (Figure 31) but is substantially closer to b than to t in S. christopherdarwini; from S. gracilis, S. patricki, S. platnicki and S. samueli by the long, uniformly cylindrical chelal hand (Figure 28) but less narrow in the others, dorsally sinuate in S. samueli and broadened basally in S. platnicki; from S. gurdoni by the medium-sized basal blades of the rallum (Figure 29) but strongly reduced in S. gurdoni; from S. amplissimus and S. apimelus by the position of trichobothrium est which is midway between ist and et in S. spatiosus (Figure 31) but closer to ist than est in the others.

Description

Adults

Colour: sclerotized portions generally yellow-brown (Figures 18–25); tergites IV-X and sternites V‒IX (♂), V‒X (♀) with paired darker patches. Waxy epicuticle. Setae generally aligned perpendicularly from body, most seta quadricarinate. Most cuticular surfaces roughened, but not granulate.

Chelicera: with 5 setae on hand and 1 subdistal seta on movable finger, all setae acuminate; setae sbs and bs shorter than others; 2 dorsal lyrifissures and 1 ventral lyrifissure; galea of ♂ and ♀ distally bifurcate with short rami; rallum of 3 blades, the most distal blade with 3 spinules on leading edge, median blade with 2 spinules, basal blade with 1 spinule (Figure 29); serrula exterior with 20 (♂, ♀) blades; lamina exterior present.

Pedipalp (Figure 28): trochanter 1.52 (♂), 1.44 (♀), femur procurved, 5.26‒5.64 (♂), 5.32‒5.56 (♀), patella 3.82‒4.06 (♂), 3.73‒3.96 (♀), chela (with pedicel) 5.66–6.05 (♂), 4.97‒5.29 (♀), chela (without pedicel) 5.36–5.77 (♂), 4.71–5.06 (♀), hand cylindrical, 2.77‒2.91 (♂), 2.40–2.55 (♀) × longer than broad, movable finger 0.94‒1.07 (♂), 1.00‒1.03 (♀) × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 8 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 3 trichobothria (Figure 31): eb, esb and isb situated basally in straight row, est submedially, et subdistally, ib and ist basally in diagonal row, and it subdistally, well posterior to et; st situated closer to t than to b; patch of microsetae present on external margin of fixed chelal finger slightly distal to et. Venom apparatus present in both chelal fingers, nodus ramosus not visible. Chelal teeth (Figure 32) strongly retrorse and acute, with basal teeth becoming rounded; fixed finger with 59 (♂), 62 (♀) teeth; movable finger with 44 (♂), 45 (♀) teeth; accessory teeth absent.

Carapace (Figures 20, 24, 26): 0.84‒0.93 (♂), 0.89‒0.95 (♀) × longer than broad; anterior margin slightly indented medially; subtriangular; with 2 pairs of corneate eyes (Figure 27) situated ca. one-third carapace length from anterior margin; anterior eye rounded, not constricted; with 25 (♂), 26 (♀) setae, including 2 (♂, ♀) near anterior margin and 4 (♂, ♀) near posterior margin; with numerous lyrifissures; with faint posterior furrow.

Coxal region: manducatory process rounded, with 3 (♂, ♀) apical acuminate setae, plus 6 (♂, ♀) additional setae; medial maxillary lyrifissure situated submedially; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: ♂, 3: 3: 5: 5; ♀, 3: 4: 4: 8.

Legs: junction between femora and patellae I and II slightly oblique to long axis; junction between femora and patellae III and IV very angulate; femora III and IV much smaller than patellae III and IV (Figure 30); femur + patella of leg IV 4.25 (♂), 4.57 (♀) × longer than broad; metatarsi and tarsi not fused and without tactile seta (Figure 30); subterminal tarsal setae arcuate and acute; arolium much longer than claws, not divided.

Abdomen: tergites II–X (♂, ♀) and sternites IV–X (♂), VI–X (♀) with thin median suture line (Figures 18, 19, 22, 23). Tergal chaetotaxy: ♂, 3: 4: 3: 6: 8: 8: 8: 8: 7: 6: 2: 2; ♀, 6: 6: 6: 8: 8: 10: 10: 10: 8: 6: 2: 2; uniseriate; all setae quadricarinate. Sternal chaetotaxy: ♂, 4: (0) 2 [4 + 4] (0): (0) 4 (0): 4: 6: 8: 8: 6: 6: 2: 2; ♀, 2: (0) 6 (0): (0) 7 (0): 10: 9: 11: 9: 7: 6: 4: 2; uniseriate; all setae quadricarinate except for those on sternite II (♂) and sternites II–IV (♀), which are acuminate. Spiracles without helix. Anal plates (tergite XII and sternite XII) situated within sternite XI, surrounded by slightly raised rim. Pleural membrane wrinkled-plicate; without any setae.

Genitalia: male: lateral apodeme laterally extended and distally broadened; anterior apodeme acute; a pair of acute dorsal apodemes; lateral rod very broad ventrally and with a blunt, anterior projection; ejaculatory canal atrium large and cup-shaped. Female: with one pair of lateral cribriform plates and 2 pairs of median cribriform plates.

Dimensions (mm): holotype male, followed by 5 other males (when measured): body length 3.86 (3.34‒4.04). Pedipalps: trochanter 0.585/0.385, femur 1.635/0.290 (1.565‒1.785/0.290‒0.325), patella 1.265/0.315 (1.165‒1.330/0.305‒0.325), chela (with pedicel) 2.290/0.390 (2.215‒2.450/0.375‒0.415), chela (without pedicel) 2.220 (2.130‒2.275), hand (without pedicel) length 1.130 (1.070‒1.180), movable finger length 1.120 (1.070‒1.120). Carapace 1.075/1.195 (1.010‒1.115/1.105‒1.280); eye diameter, anterior 0.085, posterior 0.095. Leg IV: femur + patella 1.105/0.260, tibia 0.810/0.130, metatarsus 0.365/0.100, tarsus 0.280/0.090.

Paratype female (WAM T140409), followed by 3 other females (when measured): body length 4.35 (4.10‒4.50). Pedipalps: trochanter 0.620/0.430, femur 1.760/0.320 (1.665‒1.810/0.305‒0.340), patella 1.325/0.355 (1.290‒1.360/0.325‒0.355), chela (with pedicel) 2.460/0.495 (2.355‒2.510/0.445‒0.480), chela (without pedicel) 2.335 (2.250‒2.400), hand (without pedicel) length 1.185 (1.135‒1.205), movable finger length 1.225 (1.140‒1.220). Carapace 1.155/1.295 (1.150‒1.200/1.250‒1.320); eye diameter, anterior 0.095, posterior 0.110. Leg IV: femur + patella 1.165/0.255, tibia 0.890/0.135, metatarsus 0.405/0.110, tarsus 0.310/0.095.

Tritonymph

Colour: uniformly pale brown.

Chelicera: with 5 setae on hand and 1 on movable finger; galea distally bifurcate with short rami.

Pedipalp: trochanter 1.50, femur 5.09, patella 3.61, chela (with pedicel) 5.00, chela (without pedicel) 4.75, hand (without pedicel) 2.40 × longer than broad, and movable finger 0.99 × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 7 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 2 trichobothria (Figure 33): eb, esb, ist and ib situated basally; est situated medially; et and it subdistally; b subbasally; t subdistally.

Carapace: 0.91 × longer than broad; with 24 setae including 2 setae near anterior margin and 4 near posterior margin.

Coxal region: manducatory process with 3 apical acuminate setae, pedipalpal coxa with 3 additional setae; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: 3: 3: 4: 4.

Legs: metatarsi and tarsi fused.

Abdomen: tergal chaetotaxy: 6: 6: 6: 7: 7: 7: 9: 6: 7: 8: 2: 2. Sternal chaetotaxy: 0: (0) 2 (0): (0) 4 (0): 8: 6: 8: 8: 7: 6: 4: 2.

Dimensions (mm) (WAM T140413): body length 3.37. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.510/0.340, femur 1.400/0.275, patella 1.030/0.285, chela (with pedicel) 2.000/0.400, chela (without pedicel) 1.900, hand length (without pedicel) 0.960, movable finger length 0.950. Carapace 0.960/1.055.

Deutonymph

Colour: uniformly pale yellow-brown.

Chelicera: with 5 setae on hand and 1 on movable finger; galea distally bifurcate with short rami.

Pedipalp: trochanter 1.45, femur 4.40, patella 3.02, chela (with pedicel) 4.48, chela (without pedicel) 4.25, hand (without pedicel) 2.19 × longer than broad, and movable finger 1.00 × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 6 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 2 trichobothria (Figure 34): eb, ist and ib situated basally; est situated medially; et and it subdistally; b subbasally; t subdistally.

Carapace: 0.86 × longer than broad; with 23 setae including 2 setae near anterior margin and 2 near posterior margin.

Coxal region: manducatory process with 3 apical acuminate setae, pedipalpal coxa with 3 additional setae; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: 2: 3: 3: 5.

Legs: metatarsi and tarsi fused.

Abdomen: tergal chaetotaxy: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 6: 4: 4: 4: 5: 0: 2. Sternal chaetotaxy: 0: (0) 0 (0): (0) 2 (0): 2: 4: 4: 6: 6: 5: 2: 2.

Dimensions (mm) (WAM T146821): body length 2.57. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.400/0.275, femur 0.990/0.225, patella 0.740/0.245, chela (with pedicel) 1.500/0.335, chela (without pedicel) 1.425, hand length (without pedicel) 0.735, movable finger length 0.735. Carapace 0.775/0.905.

Remarks

The specimens of Synsphyronus spatiosus were collected from the underside of granite rocks at Walga Rock.

A COI barcode sequence of a paratype specimen, T155369, is available under the GenBank accession number MZ902325.

{p}

Etymology

This species is named for its large size and the large size of Walga Rock (spatiosus, Latin, roomy, large) (Brown 1956).