Austrodomus Lawrence 1947
Creators: name: Rodrigues, Bruno V. B.
name: Rheims, Cristina A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Prodidomidae
Austrodomus

description: Genus Austrodomus Lawrence, 1947
Austrodomus Lawrence, 1947: 10 (Type species by monotypy, Austrodomus zuluensis Lawrence, 1947); Cooke, 1964: 264. Katumbea Cooke, 1964: 281 (Type species by monotypy, Katumbea oxoniensis Cooke, 1964). Syn. nov.
Remarks. Katumbea is a monotypic genus from Tanzania, known only from the female holotype. It is here considered a junior synonym of Austrodomus based on the similarity of the morphology of the female epigyne, including having inverted U-shaped ridges and posterior pocket-like structures, as well as the vulva with similar copulatory ducts and a swollen pouch-like area. In addition, both lack secondary spermathecae, since we did not observe glands that could indicate the presence of this structure. This synonymy was further corroborated by the results of the morphological cladistic analysis carried out by Rodrigues & Rheims (2020), where K. oxoniensis appears nestled within Austrodomus.
Diagnosis. Species of Austrodomus are distinguished from other Prodidominae genera by the male palp having wide embolar base, with large membranous area and hyaline conductor (Figs 8B, 9B); female epigyne with two inverted U-shaped ridges and small, posterior, triangular or C-shaped pocket-like structures pointing towards each other (Figs 7A, D, 8D); vulva with proximal part of copulatory ducts enlarged, with swollen pouch-like area (Figs 7B, E, 8E).
Description. Total length of males 1.66–2.50 and females 2.04–5.34. Carapace and legs yellow, and abdomen grayish (Figs 2A, B). Carapace longer than wide, oval (Figs 2A, B). Fovea absent. Eight eyes; posterior eye row strongly procurved (Figs 2A, B, 3A), anterior eye row approximately straight (Figs 2C, 3C); PME and PLE irregular; AME dark (Fig. 2C); interdistance contiguous of AME–ALE, PME–PLE, ALE–PLE. Chilum absent. Chelicerae large (0.31–0.52), without boss, generally projected anteroventrally (Figs 3 A–D); retromargin with one reduced tooth (Fig. 3F), except A. oxoniensis comb. nov., apparently toothless; fang long, without shaft serrula (Figs 3 D–F). Endites convergent anteriorly, with few hairs on internal margin, pointed distal margin, serrula absent (Fig. 3D); labium approximately wider than long (Fig. 3D). Sternum longer than wide, anterior margin rounded, rebordered anteriorly and laterally; posterior region strongly protruding between coxae IV with numerous long and erect setae (Figs 2D, 3B); intercoxal extensions absent and precoxal triangles present (Fig. 2D). Pedicel with anterior region truncate (Fig. 2D). Leg formula 4123. Legs III and IV with spines on femora, tibiae and metatarsi, only A. oxoniensis comb. nov. with one dorsal spine on femur I. Patella I longer than the others, length similar to tibia I. Trichobothria present dorsally on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi, arranged in two rows; bothrium with four ridges on proximal plate (Fig. 4C). Tarsal organ capsulate, with rounded opening, located dorsally and distally on tarsi. Two smooth claws (Figs 4A, B); dense claw tufts of tenent setae inserted in a well-delimited plate (Figs 4A, B); tarsus with modified apical ventral setae (Fig. 4D); solid claw tuft clasper present. Abdomen oval, longer than wide, without scales (Figs 2A, B); dorsum of abdomen without curved setae anteriorly. Six spinnerets; ALS as long as wide, contiguous (Figs 2E, F), piriform gland spigots elongated, with associated setae (Figs 5A, C), major ampulate gland spigot field on well-defined conical structure (Fig. 5D), males and females with two major ampulate gland spigots (Figs 5A, D); PLS and PMS short, PLS larger than PMS (Figs 5B, C); PMS and PLS with claviform setae (Fig. 5B); PLS in males and females apparently with only one minor ampulate gland spigot (Figs 5B, E), without aciniform gland spigots and cylindrical gland spigot; PMS in males with apparently two aciniform gland spigots and one minor ampulate gland spigot, females with two aciniform gland spigots and one minor ampulate gland spigot (Fig. 5F). Female palp: tarsus truncated, with apical chemosensory patch, without claw (Figs 4E, F). Male palp: femur unmodified; tibia short, less than half cymbium length. Two RTAs, vRTA robust and dRTA with wide base, distally pointed; cymbium with apical scopula; bulb ovoid with tegular laminar extension at distal part; sperm duct wide; embolus originating prolaterally at 9 o’clock position; conductor hyaline, originating at 12 o’clock position (Figs 6 A–D, 8B, C, 9B, C). Epigyne: epigynal plate with paired copulatory openings located medially (Figs 6E, 7A, D, 8D). Vulva: copulatory ducts convoluted laterally; secondary spermathecae absent; primary spermathecae conspicuous, rounded, located laterally to copulatory opening, except A. scaber with inconspicuous primary spermathecae; fertilization ducts laterad (Figs 6F, 7B, E).
Distribution. Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania (Fig. 10).
Composition. Four species: Austrodomus gamsberg sp. nov., A. oxoniensis (Cooke, 1964) comb. nov., A. scaber (Purcell, 1904) and A. zuluensis Lawrence, 1947.
description: Published as part of Rodrigues, Bruno V. B. & Rheims, Cristina A., 2020, An overview of the African genera of Prodidominae spiders: descriptions and remarks (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), pp. 1-80 in Zootaxa 4799 (1) on page 7, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4799.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896645