Austrotengella Raven, 2012, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Raven, Robert J
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Tengellidae
Austrotengella

description: Austrotengella gen. nov.
Diagnosis: Differs from Bengalla in the form of the male tibial apophysis (e.g., Figs 8 b–e), the extensive epigynal scape (e.g., Fig. 2 c), and from both Huntia and Bengalla in having more than 4 pairs of spines ventrally on tibiae I and II, the posterior row of eyes being recurved (Fig. 1 b) and the very long paired and unpaired claws. Differs from Amauropelma in the absence of claw tufts and the presence of a third claw.
Description: Eight eyes in two rows, both rows clearly recurved from above and in front; anterior row about two-thirds width of posterior row; from front, ALE set only about half AME diameter above AME line; PME with canoe-shaped tapetum; eye group occupying 0.6 of headwidth (Fig. 1 a). Three claws; claw tufts absent; paired claws similar, very long with few teeth basally; third claw long, bare. Retrocoxal hymen present on leg I only, pretarsal fracture absent. Tibiae I, II of females with 5 pairs of strong ventral spines with small distal pair; 3 pairs of strong spines ventrally on metatarsi I, II; similar number in males but weaker. General spine conformation: femora I only with 2 very strong subdistally on proventral face; femora I–IV also with spines prolaterally, dorsally and retrolaterally; patellae I, II aspinose; patellae III, IV and palp with one spine; tibiae III, IV typically p2d2r 2v 2.2.2, ventral spines weak; metatarsi II also with spines prolaterally, dorsally and retrolaterally; metatarsi III, IV typically p2r 3v 2.2.2–3, ventral spines weak; female palp typically, fe p1d2; pa p1; ti p2d1; ta p2.1d1r1 with 2 small spines ventrally just behind claw. Scopulae entirely absent on legs. Preening combs absent. Two rows of trichobothria on tibia, metatarsi and tarsi; trichobothrial bases collariform (Fig. 5 d); trochanters all with similarly shallow notches. Male tibiae without basal fracture. Tarsal organ low, keyhole-shaped (Fig. 5 d). Six spinnerets with short ALS and PLS and short apical segment (Fig. 1 c); females with 5–6 large conical spigots dorsolaterally on PMS, largest spigots evident dorsally in two rows (A. wrighti); PMS as long as PLS but more slender, conical, cribellum absent; colulus indistinct, small, circular, sclerotised hirsute area.
Male palp with median apophysis (Fig. 2 a), broad embolus and conductor; U-shaped subtegulum; extensive tegulum; interlocking tegular-subtegular lobes present. Median apophysis shaped like blunt-ended canoe, open face upward, with distal edge twisted, folded back on itself, translucent. Conductor large, flared, hyaline. Embolus a broad process with ventral groove (Fig. 2 a, 5a), which may be basally closed to open for its full length and thus evident as more pallid zone. RTA set on retrolateral to retrodorsal edges with two shallow apices, surfaces of apices lamellate (Fig. 8 f); cymbium shallow, canoe-shaped with conical tip with or without dorsal process, interlocking lobes present between cymbium and distal tibia both ventrally and prolaterally (Figs. 8 b, d). Scopulae absent or, rarely, weak on cymbium. Epigyne with lateral teeth, broad median plate with (Fig. 2 c) or without (Fig. 13 c) posterior invagination; transverse recurved ridge on septum (Fig. 2 c); internally quite simple.
Females remain with eggsac, which is silked to the underside of logs or rocks, sometimes it is soil- and barkencrusted.
Type Species. Austrotengella toddae sp. nov.
Species Included: Austrotengella toddae sp. nov., Austrotengella hackerae sp. nov., Austrotengella hebronae sp. nov., Austrotengella monteithi sp. nov., Austrotengella plimeri sp. nov., Austrotengella wrighti sp. nov.
Distribution and Habitat (Fig. 3). Known only from rainforests in southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales where it is common in the litter. Most species occur at elevations below 760 metres.
Significantly, A. toddae occurs only at Lamington National Park. Prior to 2006, when the only sites sampled were at elevations above 800 metres, spiders were found. However, in the IBISCA survey (2006 / 2007) at elevations from 300–1100 metres, adult spiders were only found at 500m and 700 metres with one juvenile taken at 900m. This is discussed further below.
Relationships. Austrotengella is excluded from Pisauridae and other higher lycosoids (sensu Silva 2003; Raven and Stumkat 2005) by the canoe-shaped tapetum. Equally, females remain with the eggsac, which is silked to the underside of logs and rocks, and were soil- and bark-encrusted. Forster and Forster (1999: 115) reported this also for Cycloctenus. From the front, the ALE of Austrotengella are beside the AME.
Remarks: Interspecific differences in somatic characters in this genus are diffuse; hence, species are diagnosed exclusively on the genitalia. Closely related species may be more readily diagnosed by the female epigyne than the male palp. Differences between closely related species are small and difficult to unambiguously describe but they are consistent.
description: Published as part of Raven, Robert J, 2012, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders. V. A new lycosoid genus from eastern Australia (Araneae: Tengellidae), pp. 28-52 in Zootaxa 3305 on pages 29-32, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280955