Tasmanicosa fulgor Framenau & Baehr, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Framenau, Volker W.
name: Baehr, Barbara C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Lycosidae
Tasmanicosa
Tasmanicosa fulgor

description: Tasmanicosa fulgor sp. nov.
Bushblitz wolf spider
(Figs 3R, 4H; 9A–L, 10)
Type data. Holotype. Male, 13.5 km north of Bogantugan [23°32'S, 147°18'E, Queensland, AUSTRALIA], 26 October–17 December 2000, pitfall trap, G. Monteith, D. Cook, woodland (QM S39839).
Paratypes. Female, Everard Ranges [27°10'S, 132°25'E, South Australia, AUSTRALIA], October–November 1970, G. F. Gross, L. E. Matthews, under eucalypt bark/litter (QM S70803); female, juvenile, same data (QM S96351).
Other material examined. 37 males, 12 females and 6 juveniles in 39 records (Appendix B).
Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition (fulgor, Latin – flash; Blitz is the German word for flash) and expresses the gratitude of the junior author (BCB) to the Australian Biological Resources Study’s Bush Blitz program (www.bushblitz.org.au, accessed 20 June 2016) for funding of taxonomic work and field excursions. Supporting agencies for Bush Blitz include the Australian Government, BHP Billiton and Earthwatch.
Diagnosis. Males resemble T. kochorum in having similar tegular ridge; however, it is about as wide as the tegular apophysis (Fig. 9K), but considerably shorter in T. kochorum (Fig. 15J). The female epigyne most closely resembles that of T. gilberta (Fig. 11) and T. leuckartii (Fig. 17) and appears to represent an intermediate form. However, T. fulgor females differ from T. leuckartii in the absence of a light median patch on the venter and from T. gilberta in the wider median septum in its anterior region, which has a narrow and sharp ridge in T. gilberta (Fig. 11G), but not so in T. fulgor (Fig. 9G).
Description. Male (based on holotype, QM S39839).
Total length 15.6.
Prosoma. Length 8.7, width 6.2; carapace reddish-brown with genus-specific but indistinct Union-Jack pattern and indistinct light and marginal bands (Fig. 9A); sternum dark brown; covered with light brown setae (Fig. 9C).
Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.26, ALE 0.28, PME 0.73, PLE 0.56.
Chelicerae. Dark brown with an elongated patch of golden setae frontally.
Labium. Dark brown with lighter anterior margin (Fig. 9C).
Endites. Brown, glabrous (Fig. 9C).
Legs. Greyish-brown, covered with silvery setae; venter of coxae dark brown (Fig. 9C).
Opisthosoma. Length 6.1, width 4.6; dorsally with dark folium pattern consisting of dark triangles which are bordered by light setae (Fig. 9A); venter uniformly dark brown with few brown setae (Fig. 9C).
Pedipalps. Cymbium dorsally covered with silvery setae, tip with ca. 3–5 macrosetae (Figs 9E–F); tegular apophysis with slightly curved ventral spur (Figs 9K–L); embolus thin, apically curved; terminal apophysis sickleshaped but almost straight apically (Figs 9I –J).
Female (based on paratype, QM S70803).
Total length 22.3.
Prosoma. Length 12.4, width 6.0; carapace colouration as male with more distinct radial pattern (Fig. 9B); sternum brown with light brown setae (Fig. 9D).
Eyes. Diameter of AME: 0.22, ALE 0.28, PME 0.71, PLE 0.77.
Chelicerae, labium, endites, legs and opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 11.7, width 7.5; otherwise as male, but labium apically lighter and endites basally darker (Figs 9B, D).
Epigyne. Slightly longer than wide, with m-shaped apical margin; medium septum inverted T-shaped with anterior part a broad, irregular ridge (Fig. 9G); spermathecal heads large, roughly kidney-shaped and situated in apical half of epigyne; spermathecal stalks twisted (Fig.9H).
Life history and habitat preferences. Little information can be deducted from the few records of T. fulgor. Habitat descriptions with records of T. fulgor include native grassland and Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) woodland, with one record from a suburban swimming pool. Males have been found between November and February, with most records from December. Female activity appears to be longer than that of males with specimens found between October and March, but also in May.
Distribution. Tasmanicosa fulgor has a broad distribution throughout mainland Australia with the exception of the north-west; it has also been found in Tasmania (Fig. 10). A single record from south-western Western Australia is here tentatively referred to T. fulgor pending the discovery of males in the state. Ventral opisthosoma pattern and epigyne shape conform to the species, but internal genitalia more closely match T. leuckartii.
description: Published as part of Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2016, Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae), pp. 1-82 in Zootaxa 4213 (1) on pages 20-21, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4213.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/253033