Proshermacha telaporta Harvey, Wilson & Rix, sp. nov.

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https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/6ABB4F84-8CDD-4B18-AFC9-CC9ABC743953

Holotype: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: ♂, near Coomallo Hill, Cooljarloo, 30°41′S, 115°28′E, 16–21 August 2006, dry pitfall, Banksia low woodland on sand, M. Bamford (WAM T77026).

Paratype: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 ♀, ca. 2 km E. of Regans Ford, 30°59′S, 115°43′E, 5 September 2007, in burrow in sandy soil, burrow without lid, A. Munro (WAM T81483).

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Figures 4–12. Proshermacha telaporta Harvey, Wilson & Rix, sp. nov., holotype male (WAM T77026): 4, cephalothorax, dorsal view; 5, cephalothorax, ventral view; 6, ocular region; 7, fovea; 8, sternum; 9, abdomen, dorsal view; 10, abdomen, ventral view; 11, left sternal sigilla; 12, left maxilla. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Figures 13–24. Proshermacha telaporta Harvey, Wilson & Rix, sp. nov., holotype male (WAM T77026): 13–16, left pedipalp: 13, prolateral view; 14, tarsus, prolateral view; 15, tarsus, ventral view; 16, tarsus, retrolateral view; 17–20, left bulb: 17, ventral view; 18, dorsal view; 19, retrolateral view; 20, retrolateral view; 21--24, left leg I: 21, prolateral view; 22, tibia I, prolateral view; 23, tibia I, retrolateral view; 24, metatarsus I, prolateral view. Scale lines = 5 mm (Figures 13–16, 21–24), 0.2 mm (Figures 17–20).

Figures 25–35. Proshermacha telaporta Harvey, Wilson & Rix, sp. nov., paratype female (WAM T81483): 25, cephalothorax, dorsal view; 26, cephalothorax, ventral view; 27, ocular region; 28, fovea; 29, sternum; 30, abdomen, dorsal view; 31, abdomen, ventral view; 32, left sternal sigilla; 33, left maxilla; 34, spermathecae, dorsal; 35, spermathecae, dorsal. Scale bars = 5 mm (Figures 25, 30), 0.5 mm (Figure 35).

Diagnosis

Specimens of Proshermacha telaporta can be distinguished from all other described species of the genus as follows: males lack flanges on the embolus (Figures 17–20) which occur in P. robertblosfeldsi (Figures 49–52), and the embolus is shorter than in P. credo and the male identified as Chenistonia tepperi by Main (1964). Males can be further distinguished from those species for which males are known by the thin, low megaspur on tibia I (Figures 22, 23). The spermathecae of the female (Figures 34, 35) are reminiscent of the five other species of Proshermacha for which the spermathecal morphology has been documented, P. armigera (Rainbow and Pulleine, 1918) (see Harvey et al. 2020, figure 156), P. credo (see Wilson et al. 2023, figure 29), P. wilga (see Leenders et al. 2023, fig. 29), P. robertblosfeldsi (Figures 58, 59) and P. sp. 'MYG357’ (see Harvey et al. 2018, figure 7G). However, the spermathecal stalks are more widely spaced than in P. armigera, lack the medial curvature of P. credo and P. wilga, are less widely spaced than in P. robertblosfeldsi and lack the lateral flexure of P. sp. 'MYG357’.

Description

Male (based on holotype, WAM T77026): large anamid spider.

Colour (in alcohol) (Figures 4–24): carapace dark red-brown with darker markings in cephalic region; legs brown, some segments with longitudinal pale stripes, tarsi paler; prolateral face of femur I paler than other segments. Chelicerae uniformly dark red-brown. Abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings, and ventrally pale yellow-brown.

Cephalothorax: carapace (Figure 4) 1.28 × longer than broad; pilose; silver setae present; with larger brown setae dorsally; clypeal edge slightly convex. Fovea (Figure 7) straight. Eyes (Figure 6): on distinct mound; from above, anterior eye row straight, posterior eye row slightly recurved; AME about same size as ALE; ALE and AME the largest; PME smallest; eye group length 0.87, width 1.59. Chelicerae (Figure 4) densely setose with thick black setae and smaller silver setae; rastellum absent; promargin of tooth row with 9 teeth, retromargin with 17 small teeth in 2 rows. Labium (Figure 8) fused to sternum, without cuspules. Maxillae (Figure 12) with 100 (left), 93 (right) cuspules, located on the basal edge; maxillae about same colour as coxae I–IV (Figure 5). Sternum (Figure 8): oval, posteriorly pointed; 1.00 × longer than broad; setae over entire surface, setae on lateral and posterior margins longer than others; with 3 pairs of sigilla (Figure 11), each pair increasing in size from anterior to posterior; posterior pair elliptical.

Pedipalp (Figures 13–20): tibia cylindrical, narrow; asetose depression absent; tarsus long, with medial constriction when viewed laterally; densely setose; bulb ovoid; embolus about as long as bulb, tapering to fine point, without distal flange.

Legs (Figures 21–24): coxal cuspules absent; coxa I with some setae noticeably shorter than others; tibia I moderately thickened, cylindrical, with large megaspur; TIL/TID 3.77; TIS/TIL 0.62; TISH/TID 0.64; metatarsus elongate, slightly incrassate; MIL/MID 6.91. MIPEL/MIL 0.39; scopula present on all tarsi, and on metatarsi I and II; claws with 2 rows of teeth; claw tufts absent.

Abdomen (Figures 9, 10): 1.88 × longer than broad, densely pilose. Spinnerets: 2 pairs of spinnerets; PMS unsegmented and separated by about diameter of spinneret; PLS 3-segmented, apical segment elongate, digitiform.

Dimensions (mm): total body length (with chelicerae, but excluding spinnerets) 26.88, total body length 22.94 (excluding chelicerae and spinnerets), carapace length 11.23, width 8.75; sternum length 4.42, width 4.42. Femur I length 9.02, width 2.72, L/W 3.32; tibia I 7.10; metatarsus I 7.53; femur II 8.42; femur III 7.58; femur IV length 9.17, width 2.70, L/W 3.40. Abdomen length 10.85, width 5.76.

Female (based on paratype, WAM T81483): large anamid spider.

Colour (in alcohol) (Figures 25–33): carapace dark red-brown with darker markings in cephalic region; legs uniformly yellow-brown; prolateral face same colour as other segments. Chelicerae uniformly dark red-brown. Abdomen dorsally pale yellow-brown with black median stripe and several distinct chevrons, and ventrally pale yellow-brown.

Cephalothorax: carapace (Figure 25) 1.33 × longer than broad; pilose; silver setae present; with larger brown setae dorsally; clypeal edge slightly convex. Fovea (Figure 28) very slightly recurved. Eyes (Figure 27): on distinct mound; from above, anterior eye row straight, posterior eye row slightly recurved; AME slightly larger than PME; AME largest; PME smallest; eye group length 0.96, width 1.83. Chelicerae (Figure 25) densely setose with thick black setae and smaller silver setae; rastellum absent; promargin of tooth row with 9 teeth, retromargin with 11 small teeth in 2 rows. Labium (Figure 29) fused to sternum, without cuspules. Maxillae (Figure 33) with 109 (left), 117 (right) cuspules, located on the basal edge; maxillae about same colour as coxae I–IV (Figure 26). Sternum (Figure 29): oval, posteriorly pointed; 1.07 × longer than broad; setae over entire surface, setae on lateral and posterior margins longer than others; with 3 pairs of sigilla (Figure 32), each pair increasing in size from anterior to posterior; posterior pair elliptical.

Pedipalp: with thick scopula.

Legs: coxal cuspules absent; coxa I with some setae noticeably shorter than others; scopula present on all tarsi, and on metatarsi I and II; claws with 2 rows of teeth; claw tufts absent.

Abdomen (Figures 30, 31): 1.55 × longer than broad, sparsely setose. Spinnerets: 2 pairs of spinnerets; PMS unsegmented and separated by about diameter of spinneret; PLS 3-segmented, apical segment elongate, digitiform.

Genitalia (Figures 34, 35): with 1 pair of widely spaced spermathecae, laterally divergent with bulbous spermathecae head.

Dimensions (mm): total body length (with chelicerae, but excluding spinnerets) 31.68, total body length 27.07 (excluding chelicerae and spinnerets); carapace length 13.25, width 9.98; sternum length 5.62, width 5.26. Femur I length 9.31, width 3.37, L/W 2.76; femur II 8.74; femur III 7.97; femur IV length 9.79, width 3.45, L/W 2.84. Abdomen length 13.82, width 8.91.

Remarks

The only other specimen of Proshermacha lodged in the Western Australian Museum from near the two localities recorded for this species is a male (WAM T147257) collected from Watheroo National Park which is ca. 40 km from the type locality of P. telaporta. This specimen clearly represents a different species, as the abdomen lacks contrasting markings and the tibia and metatarsus I are differently shaped.

Proshermacha telaporta has been previously identified with the code P. sp. ‘MYG362’ in the Western Australian Museum database.

Sequence data

The two specimens of P. telaporta are only 1.52% divergent in the COI barcoding gene, making their identity unequivocal. The following sequence data are available on GenBank for Proshermacha telaporta:

Holotype male, WAM T77026: COI (OR141941).

Paratype female, WAM T81483: COI (KJ745286), 16S rRNA (OQ919013), 18S rRNA (OQ919000), 28S rRNA (OQ919022), and H3 (OQ918665).

Distribution

Proshermacha telaporta has been collected from two localities ca. 100 km apart in the southern Geraldton Sandplains and the northern Swan Coastal Plains bioregions (Figure 1). These sites represent some of the most north-westerly records of the genus Proshermacha.

Etymology

The species epithet is a compound noun that signifies the silken burrow entrance of anamid spiders (tela, Latin, web or loom; porta, Latin, gate or door). The name was suggested by the Klines family (Jenny, Marcus, Jacob and Ella) as part of the "A Night at the Museum Silent Auction" organised by the Foundation for the Western Australian Museum.