Wandella australiensis Koch 1873

Overview & Synopsis

Wandella australiensis (Koch 1873) (Figures 2, 9 – 10, 14 A, 15, 28, 29) Filistata australiensis L Koch 1873, p. 451, pl. 35, fig. 4. Four syntype females from Rockhampton, Queensland, 23 ° 22 ' S, 150 ° 32 ' E, in ZMH Museum Godeffroyi 8098, not examined. Pritha australiensis Lehtinen 1967, p. 260. Wandella australiensis Gray 1994, p. 50, figs. 8, 52 – 56. Pritha australiensis Lehtinen 1967, p. 260. Wandella australiensis Gray 1994, p. 50, figs. 8, 52 – 56. Diagnosis Males are similar to those of W. murrayensis Gray in having a short, sinuous bulb and a curved, prolaterally directed paraembolic lamina (Figures 10, 28, 29). They differ by the shorter, not so incrassated palpal tibia, and by the paraembolic lamina ending closer to the apex of the embolus. Female diagnosed by Gray (1994). Description Male from Meta Park, Queensland, Australia (QM S 78597) (Figure 28). Coloration: carapace cream, with dark brown median pattern and clypeal markings, and submarginal bands present as diffuse, light brown patches; chelicerae cream with a distal dark brown patch; labium and endites cream; sternum cream with anterior border dark brown; legs cream, with incomplete light brown rings in the base and apex of the femora, tibiae and metatarsi and a prolateral light brown patch on the patellae; abdomen dorsum light brown, clothed with whitish setae, with dark brown chevron with six markings posteriorly. Anterior margin of the carapace nearly straight. Sternum suboval, sigillae not visible. Total length 2.98. Carapace length 1.47, width 1.10. Clypeus length 0.29. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12, PME 0.0 7, ALE 0.11, PLE 0.0 8, AME – AME 0.04, PME – PME 0.15. Palp: femur length 0.65, width 0.20, tibia length 0.40, width 0.26. Leg I: femur 1.90, patella 0.47, tibia 2.3, metatarsus 1.96, tarsus 1.02. Right II: fe 1.4, pa 0.46, ti 1.3. III: fe 1.12, pa 0.46, ti 1.06. IV: fe 1.54, pa 0.48, ti 1.66, mt 1.53, ta 0.75. Abdomen: length 1.62, width 0.94. Leg macrosetae: absent. Palp: cymbium horseshoe-shaped, prolateral excavation small, near the base of the paraembolic process (see Figure 10 B, Ex), paraembolic process free, prolaterally curved, ending close to embolus apex, embolus short, prolaterally bent. Female (Figure 29 C, D) described by Gray (1994). Variation Males (n = 5): total length 2.40 – 3.59 (3.05), carapace length 1.10 – 1.54 (1.37), femur I length 1.37 – 1.93 (1.70), tibia I length 1.60 – 2.30 (1.97), tibia/carapace ratio 1.30 – 1.56 (1.43). Palpal morphology is variable, especially the curvature of the embolus and the shape of the paraembolic lamina (Figures 10, 28 C, 29 A, B). It might be that W. australiensis is not a single species, as already suggested by Gray (1994). Note Males and females have been matched because they have been collected several times from the same localities. Distribution Northeastern Queensland, Australia (Figure 15). Material examined Australia. Queensland: 39km north of Charters Towers, nr. Dalrymple NP, Gregory Developmental Rd (146.0633 °, − 19.8247 °), G. Milledge & H. Smith, 12 /V/2000, 1 ♂ (AM KS. 67167); Bang Bang jumpup, rocky hillside (140.66331 °, − 18.52356 °, 38 m), R. Raven, B. Baehr & A. Amey, 10 /VII – 23 /IX/2006, 1 ♂ (QM S 77168); Broken River, Storm Dam [148.51247 °, − 21.16293 °], P. Lawless, 19 /VII/1995, 2 ♂ (QM S 78948); Dotswood, Harvey ’ s Range, vertebrate pitfall trap [146.44375 °, − 19.99839 °], T. Churchill, II/1999, 1 ♂ (QM S 78593); 1 ♂ (QM S 78594); pitfall trap, T. Churchill & Woinarski, II/1999, 1 ♀ (QM S 78595); 10 ♂ (QM S 78596); Gregory Dev. Rd, 5.5 km southeast Clarke river, open forest (145.47333 °, − 19.24167 °, 420 m), QM Party, 29 /IX – 17 /XII/2006, 4 ♂ (QM S 79089); south of Gray Ck. (145.04667 °, − 19.025 °, 440 m), 6 ♂ 2 ♀ 1 imm. (QM S 79117); Lolworth National Park, site 2, dry vine scrub (146.09 °, − 19.82833 °, 270 m), 28 /XI – 12 /XII/2006, 1 ♂ (QM S 79012); Longreach, 24 km northwest by road (144.11531 °, − 23.26881 °, 231 m), R. Raven, B. Baehr & A. Amey, 28 /VI – 7 /IX/2006, 1 ♂ (QM S 77112); Meta Park, tree clearing, collector unknown, 20 /X/ 1998, CSIRO Darwin A2780, 1 ♂ (QM S 78597); Mount Stuart, site 10.2 b [146.73942 °, − 19.37172 °], D. Hannah, 12 /XII/1999, 1 ♂ (QM S 78598); Myola, site 1, paddock, pitfall trap (145.50333 °, − 20.05 °, 420 m), QM Party, 29 /IX – 17 /XII/2006, 1 ♂ (QM S 79108); site 2, open forest/lancewood (145.46667 °, − 20.07167 °), 1 ♂ (QM S 79048); Newcastle Ra, east Georgetown [143.8533 °, − 18.51049 °], J. Hasenpusch, 20 /II – 29 /VI/2002, 4 ♂ (QM S 80437); Peak Range NP, between Eastern Peak and Browns Peak, web in bark (148.1342 °, − 22.7572 °), G. Milledge & H. Smith, 11 /V/2000, 1 ♀ (AM KS. 67165); Red Falls, vine scrub in basalt, pitfall trap (145.73333 °, − 19.92667 °), G.B. Monteith & Cook, 16 /XII/ 2006 – 15 /II/ 2007, 1 ♂ (QM S 76696); Riversleigh, just east of t ’ off (138.52075 °, − 18.75981 °, 145 m), R. Raven, B. Baehr & A. Amey, 2 /VII – 11 /IX/2006, 4 ♂ (QM S 77250); t ’ off on Gregory Downs- Camooweal Rd, 5 km W (138.95294 °, − 19.12386 °, 182 m), 1 /VII – 10 /IX/2006, 2 ♂ (QM S 75463); Taroom district, Boggomoss, pitfall trap (150.01667 °, − 25.43333 °), P. Lawless, 11 / XI/ 2006 – I/1997, 1 ♂ (QM S 36719); Toomba, site 1, open forest (145.56667 °, − 19.96667 °, 1390 m), QM Party, 29 /IX – 17 /XII/2006, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (QM S 79031); Undara National Park, 12 mile Swamp, Melaleuca swamp (144.86667 °, − 18.26667 °), G.B. Monteith, 8 /XII/ 2002 – 08/II/2003, 1 ♂ (QM S 69756); The Arch, vine scrub (144.58333 °, − 18.21667 °), 1 ♂ (QM S 98401); Undilla, 4 km northeast on Gregory Downs-Carnooweal Rd (138.74708 °, − 19.60283 °, 255 m), R. Raven, B. Baehr & A. Amey, 30 /VI – 23 /IX/2006, 3 ♂ (QM S 77210); Wills Rd, Gregory River gate t ’ off, 1 km south (138.59342 °, − 18.60081 °, 126 m), 2 /VII – 11 /IX/ 2006, female not dissected, 6 ♂ 1 ♀ 1 imm. (QM S 77237); Forty Mile Scrub National Park, pitfall trap (144.84833 °, − 18.095 °), M. Moulds & J. Thompson, 13 – 23 /IV/1994, 1 ♀ (AM KS. 42614); Mazeppa NP, southwest corner nr road (147.2644 °, − 22.2728 °), G. Milledge & H. Smith, 11 /V/2000, 1 ♀ (AM KS. 67166).