Aname briggsi Wilson, Harvey, Simmons & Rix, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wilson, Jeremy D.
name: Harvey, Mark S.
name: Simmons, Leigh W.
name: Rix, Michael G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Anamidae
Aname
Aname briggsi

description: Aname briggsi sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 32817F44-C994-44BF-9156-EA742069AD48
Figs 1, 7, 36–37
Diagnosis
Males of A. briggsi sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. aurensis sp. nov., A. eddieorum sp. nov., A. hughenden sp. nov., A. longitheca, A. mulgana sp. nov., A. rupicola sp. nov., and A. warrego sp. nov. by a moderate to large body size (carapace length> 4 mm), the presence of a long embolus (embolus length / bulb length>1.5) that has a relatively wide basal section tapering into an attenuate, sinuous distal section after about 0.4 of length, and the absence of a prominent sharp heel on metatarsus I (as in the pallida -complex) (Fig. 36L–M). Males of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. eddieorum, A. longitheca, and A. warrego by the presence of a tibia I that widens from the proximal end to the base of the tibial spur when in lateral view (Fig. 36P; cf. Figs 39, 42, 48). Males of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. aurensis and A. rupicola by the presence of a longer embolus (embolus length /bulb length>2.5) (Fig. 36L–M; cf. Figs 34, 46). Males of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. hughenden by the presence of a more strongly curving embolus (Fig. 36L–M; cf. Fig. 41). Males of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. mulgana by the presence of a longer distal pad and shorter proximal excavation on metatarsus I (excavation length / metatarsus length ~ 0.36; cf. ~ 0.43 in A. mulgana) (Fig. 36Q; cf. Fig. 44).
Females of A. briggsi sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which females are known except A. aurensis sp. nov., A. camara, A. dingo sp. nov., A. eddieorum sp. nov., A. longitheca, A. mulgana sp. nov., and A. rupicola sp. nov. by the presence of spermathecae with two vesicles, with relatively long and straight lateral vesicles (lateral vesicle length / genitalia width>0.25) and long medial vesicles (medial vesicle length / lateral vesicle length> 1) that project medially or posteromedially, before undulating anteriorly (Fig. 37L). Females of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. aurensis, A. dingo, A. longitheca, and A. rupicola by the presence of spermathecae with highly elongate vesicles (medial vesicle length/ genitalia width>0.8; cf. <0.65) (Fig. 37L; cf. Figs 35, 38, 43, 47). Females of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. eddieorum and A. mulgana by the presence of spermathecae with lateral vesicles terminating in narrower ends (Fig. 37L; cf. Figs 40, 45). Females of A. briggsi can be distinguished from those of A. camara by the presence of a darker body colouration and spermathecae with longer vesicles (lateral vesicle length/ genitalia width> 0.35) with less widely-spaced crowns (distance between crowns less than length of lateral vesicles) (Fig. 37A–L; cf. Fig. 107).
Etymology
The specific epithet ‘ briggsi ’ is named in honour of arachnologist Dr Ethan Briggs, who kindly donated many Aname specimens to this project.
Type material
Holotype
AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♂; 9 km N of Bogantungan; 23°34′ S, 147°18′ E; 840 m a.s.l.; 25–26 Oct. 2000; D.J. Cook leg.; pitfall trap, open forest; QMB S63053.
Other material examined
AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀; Carnarvon National Park, Ka Ka Mundi section; 24°46′ S, 147°27′ E; 422 m a.s.l.; 17 Apr. 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground (with unusual side chamber at bottom of main burrow shaft); QMB S118277 • 1 ♀; Carnarvon National Park, Ka Ka Mundi section; 24°46′ S, 147°27′ E; 416 m a.s.l.; 17 Apr. 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground (with unusual side chamber at bottom of main burrow shaft); QMB S118278 • 1 ♀; Carnarvon National Park, Ka Ka Mundi section; 24°46′ S, 147°27′ E; 411 m a.s.l.; 17 Apr. 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118276.
Description
Male (holotype, QMB S63053)
GENERAL (Fig. 36A–Q). Body length 16.74, in good condition, colour presumably faded due to preservation.
DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 36A, E–F). Carapace length 5.85, width 5.41, length/width 1.08, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.68, caput width/carapace width 0.76, carapace orange-brown, caput slightly darker than thorax, reflective setae present, heavy on caput, moderate on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.17 (Fig. 36A, F); chelicerae red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.70 (Fig. 36A); eye group rectangular, width/length 2.06, eye tubercle present (Fig. 36E).
ABDOMEN (Fig. 36B, D). Abdomen length 6.65, grey-brown, dorsal pattern absent, with some evidence of covering of reflective setae.
VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 36C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 36H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 84, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 35% of maxillae length (Fig. 36C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 36C, I); sternum length/width 1.20, central sternum with consistent covering of moderate setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, some shorter thorn-like setae around anterior edges (Fig. 36G–H); posterior sigilla semi-elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.24, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.17 (Fig. 36G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 36G–H).
LEG I (Fig. 36N–Q). Leg I orange-brown, lighter on distal metatarsus and tarsus, femur length 5.52, patella length 3.48, tibia length 4.04, metatarsus length 3.75, tarsus length 2.61, total length 19.40, leg I length/carapace length 3.32 (Fig. 36N–O); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 36N–O); spine count Fe D 3, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 36N–O); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.63, widening from proximal end to spur before narrowing again towards distal end, spur present, digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 9 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.48, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.44, megaspine length/tibia length 0.20 (Fig. 36N–P); metatarsus slightly sinuous, proximal excavation present, excavation concave with pronounced heel, heel broadly rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.36, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 3.42 (Fig. 36N–O, Q).
PEDIPALP (Fig. 36J–M). Tibia length 3.17, width 1.09, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.91, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.59, retrolateral face with consistent covering of light setae, ventral face with two elongate bristle-like setae below depression, prolateral face with one distoventral spine, disto-medial spine absent (Fig. 36J–K); patella prolateral face with 2 (medial rubbed off) spines (Fig. 36J–K); cymbium with scopulae present distally (Fig. 36J–K); copulatory organ total length 2.03, length/palp tibia length 0.64 (Fig. 36L–M); bulb length/width 0.84 (Fig. 36L–M); embolus tapering from bulb, attenuate, with wide base tapering about halfway along into attenuate apical section, one slight bend, at about 0.4 of length, slight bend before tip, width at base/bulb width 0.37, embolus length/bulb length 2.87 (Fig. 36L–M).
Female (QMB S118276)
GENERAL (Fig. 37A–L). Body length 25.23, in good condition.
DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 37A, E–F). Carapace length 7.58, width 6.83, length/width 1.11, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.71, caput width/carapace width 0.77, carapace orange-brown, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, moderate on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.18 (Fig. 37A, F); chelicerae red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.66 (Fig. 37A); eye group rectangular, width/length 2.08, eye tubercle present (Fig. 37E).
ABDOMEN (Fig. 37B, D). Abdomen length 12.36, grey, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.
VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 37C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 37H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 98, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 40% of maxillae length (Fig. 37C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 37C, I); sternum length/width 1.15, central sternum with consistent covering of long setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, some shorter thorn-like setae around anterior edges (Fig. 37G–H); posterior sigilla semi-elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.25, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.17 (Fig. 37G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 37G–H).
LEG I (Fig. 37J–K). Leg I orange-brown, darker on patella and tibia, femur length 5.19, patella length 3.02, tibia length 3.48, metatarsus length 3.24, tarsus length 1.99, total length 16.93, leg I length/carapace length 2.23; scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus; spine count Fe D 0, Fe PL 1 (rubbed off), Pa PL 2 (proximal rubbed off), Ti PL 2, Ti RL 4 (weak), Me PL 1, Me RL 3, Ta 0; tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.08.
GENITALIA (Fig. 37D, L). Epigastric furrow unmodified (Fig. 37D); spermathecae with two vesicles each (Fig. 37L); lateral vesicle relatively straight, length 0.51, lateral vesicle length/genitalia width 0.35, length/width at base 3.57, crown un-demarcated (Fig. 37L); medial vesicle with distinct basal section angled medially, before undulating towards anterior, medial vesicle length/genitalia width 0.89, length/ width 9.64, medial vesicle length/lateral vesicle length 2.53 (Fig. 37L).
Distribution and natural history
Aname briggsi sp. nov. occurs in central Queensland, near the border between the Brigalow Belt South and Brigalow Belt North bioregions, north of Carnarvon National Park and west of Emerald (Fig. 7). It constructs an open, silk-lined burrow without silk outside of the entrance, often on an angle, and with a hidden secondary ‘wishbone’ entrance (Fig. 7).
description: Published as part of Wilson, Jeremy D., Harvey, Mark S., Simmons, Leigh W. & Rix, Michael G., 2025, An integrative systematic revision of the wishbone spiders (Araneae: Anamidae: Aname L. Koch, 1873) of subtropical and tropical eastern Australia, with the description of 55 new species, pp. 1-298 in European Journal of Taxonomy 985 on pages 53-56, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.985.2845, http://zenodo.org/record/15169471