Novaranea courti Framenau, 2011, new species
Creators: name: Framenau, Volker W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Araneidae
Novaranea
Novaranea courti

description: Novaranea courti new species
(Figs 1 A–E, 2A–E, 3–D, 4)
Types. Holotype: 1 male, Lake St Clair, Fergies Paddock (42º08'S, 146º10'E, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA), 25–31 January 1987, R. J. Raven, J. Gallon, heath and forest, general collection (QM S83467). Paratypes: 2 females, Phillips Track, Youngs Creek crossing, 0.5km N of Triplet Falls, Otway Ranges (38º40’42’’S, 143º29’E, Victoria, AUS- TRALIA), 17 March 1992, G. Milledge, Nothofagus cunninghamii, direct search (NMV K-9859);
Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 1 female, 1 juvenile, Minnamurra Falls Reserve, 34º38’S, 150º44’E (AM KS9025). Tasmania: 1 female, Cradle Mountain, Nothofagus forest (ZMUC); 1 female, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park, near Waldheim cabins, 22.6km at 202°SWS from Moina, 41º38’29’’S, 145º56’27’’E (ZMUC 12389); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12388); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12382); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12392); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12391); 1 female, Derwent Bridge, near Lake St Clair National Park, 42º09’58’’S, 146º11’56’’E (ZMUC 12386); 3 females, Franklin area near Kutikina Cave F 34, Western Heritage area, island in Franklin River, 42º30’S, 145º45’E (AM KS21096); 1 female, 1 juvenile, Lake St Clair, 42º08’S, 146º10’E (QM S5586); same locality (QM S5556); 1 female, Little Donaldson River, 41º23’01’’S, 145º13’13’’E (QM S50786); 1 female, Nelson Falls, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, 15km at 89°E from Queenstown, 42º06’14’’S, 145º44’10’’E (ZMUC); 1 female, St Columba Falls, 27.1km at 256°W from St Helens, 41º19’17’’S, 147º55’34’’E (ZMUC 12390); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12383); 3 females, same locality (ZMUC 12385); 2 females, same locality (ZMUC 12393); 2 females, Weldborough Pass Scenic Reserve, at 28.6km 280°WNW from St Helens, 41º13’00’’S, 147º56’18’’E (ZMUC 12387); 1 female, same locality (ZMUC 12384). Victoria: 2 females, Acheron Gap, 6km NE Mt Donna Buang, 37º40’43’’S, 145º44’20’’E (NMV K- 6767); 1 female, Aire Crossing Track, 0.5km N Aire River, Otway Ranges, 38º42’S, 143º29’E (NMV K- 6766); 1 female, Beech Forest, Otway Ranges, 38º27’S, 143º58’E (AM KS49505); 1 female, Erskine Falls, Lorne, 38º32’S, 143º58’E (QM S13158); 2 females, Phillips Track, 0.5km N Triplet Falls, Otway Ranges, 38º40’S, 143º29’E (NMV K- 6764); 1 female, Tarra Bulga National Park, 0.5km NNE of Tarra Valley Picnic area, 38º26’40’’S, 146º32’30’’E (NMV K6769); 3 females, The Big Culvert, 2.5km ENE Mt Observation, 37º33’36’’S, 145º52’15’’E (NMV K6768); 2 females, Young Creek Road, 0.4Km NW of Triplet Falls, Otway Ranges, 38º40’S, 143º29’E (NMV K- 6765).
Diagnosis. Novaranea courti n. sp. differs from its only known congener, N. queribunda (Keyserling, 1887) (and also from all Cryptaranea species), by the presence of distinct humeral humps (e.g., Figs 1 A, 2A, C, E). In addition, males differ in the shapes of most major pedipalp sclerites (see Court & Forster, 1988 and Framenau et al. 2009 for illustrations of N. queribunda). For example, the embolus is much stouter in N. queribunda, the median apophysis is less elongate, the base of the terminal apophysis is much more bent and the conductor lacks a patch of small tubercles (present in N. courti n. sp.). Females of N. courti n. sp. differ from those of N. queribunda by the shape of the scape which is narrower at its base than at the cup in N. queribunda but of equal width along all its length in N. courti n. sp.
Description. Male (based on holotype):
Carapace (Fig. 1 A): glabrous, fovea longitudinal; light brown with dark pigmentation mainly marginally and posterior of cephalic region; white Y-shaped pattern in posterior part of cephalic region; single long light brown bristle and dense row of white macrosetae behind posterior lateral eyes.
Chelicerae: orange-brown with dark-gray pigmentation anteriorly; three promarginal teeth with the median largest, two retromarginal teeth of equal length.
Sternum (Fig. 1 B): light brown with dense dark gray pigmentation; few brown macrosetae.
Abdomen (Fig. 1 A): widest anteriorly with distinct humeral humps; mottled dark gray with indistinct white triangular pattern centrally in anterior half and dark folium pattern in posterior half. Venter dark grey with a pair of distinct white spots in posterior half (Fig. 1 B). Spinnerets light brown with dense dark pigmentation.
Pedipalps (Figs 1 C–E): femur with basal tubercle opposing lateral endite tubercle; patella with two macrosetae; cymbium with elongated tip; median apophysis ca. three times as long as wide, basally with a pointy, sclerotised tip and apically with a row of small denticles (Fig. 1 E); embolus long and curved anti-clockwise; conductor a complex structure with broad lobe accompanying the embolus/terminal apophysis and a field of small denticles; terminal apophysis with broad base and long basal arm accompanying embolus/conductor.
Legs: tibiae of leg I and leg II of equal width and similar spination; coxae I with tubercle (Fig. 1 B); leg formula I>II>IV>III; coxae yellow-brown, femora brown with yellow-brown bases; patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi brown with yellow-brown annulations; uniformly light brown.
Dimensions: total length (excluding chelicerae) 5.13. Carapace length 2.63, width 2.13. Eyes: AME 0.12, ALE 0.12, PME 0.17, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.18, PME–PME 0.12, MOQ width front 0.44, MOQ width back 0.38. Sternum length 1.25, width 0.88. Abdomen length 2.50, width 2.63. Pedipalp: femur 0.54, patella+tibia 0.38, tarsus 1.15, total 2.08. Leg I: femur 3.46, patella+tibia 4.69, metatarsus 3.00, tarsus 1.15, total 12.30. Leg II: femur 2.92, patella+tibia 3.77, metatarsus 2.38, tarsus 0.92, total 10.00. Leg III: femur 2.15, patella+tibia 1.92, metatarsus 1.15, tarsus 0.62, total 5.84. Leg IV: femur 2.92, patella+tibia 2.77, metatarsus 2.15, tarsus 0.69, total 8.54.
Variation: unknown (only known from male holotype).
Female (based on paratype NMV K-9859):
Carapace (Fig. 2 A): light brown with dark brown fovea and two dark brown triangular patches postero-laterally in cephalic area; white triangular patch in posterior part of cephalic area; covered with white setae; long white setae behind posterior lateral eyes.
Chelicerae: yellow-brown; dark pigmentation basally and apico-medially; three promarginal teeth with the median largest; three retromarginal teeth of equal size.
Sternum (Fig. 2 B): as male, but with some white, central pigmentation.
Abdomen Fig. 2 B): widest anteriorly with distinct humeral humps; marmorated white with similar general pattern to male, i.e. white anterior triangle and margins of posterior folium; Venter light olive-gray with a pair of white spots in posterior half (Fig. 2 B). Spinnerets as in male.
Epigynum (Figs 3 A–D): ventral view: wider than long, scape wrinkled and with triangular terminal pocket. Dorsal view: spermathecae kidney-shaped (Fig. 3 D), spermduct strong, attaching antero-medially, leading anteriorly and looping back to copulatory openings (Fig. 3 B–D)
Legs: leg formula I>II>IV>III; overall colour pattern as male, but darker areas not as distinct.
Dimensions: total length (excluding chelicerae) 8.50. Carapace length 4.00, width 3.13. Eyes: AME 0.18, ALE 0.15, PME 0.36, PLE 0.33, AME–AME 0.24, PME–PME 0.18, MOQ width front 0.56, MOQ width back 0.50. Sternum length 1.38, width 1.63. Abdomen length 4.88, width 6.13. Pedipalp: femur 1.54, patella+tibia 1.38, tarsus 1.54, total 4.46. Leg I: femur 4.23, patella+tibia 5.54, metatarsus 4.00, tarsus 1.61, total 15.38. Leg II: femur 3.85, patella+tibia 4.69, metatarsus 3.23, tarsus 1.31, total 13.07. Leg III: femur 2.46, patella+tibia 2.69, metatarsus 1.61, tarsus 1.31, total 8.07. Leg IV: femur 3.92, patella+tibia 4.08, metatarsus 2.54, tarsus 1.31, total 11.84.
Variation (range, mean ± SD): TL 7.88–9.38; CL 3.13–3.75; CW 2.63–3.13; n=5. Within its general colour pattern females of this species are extremely variable from very dark specimens to almost white spiders. Live specimens or those preserved in high grades of EtOH often have distinct green tinge in parts of their bodies such as carapace and legs (Figs 2 C, E).
Remarks. Court and Forster (1988) mainly differentiated their new genera Cryptaranea and Novaranea by the shape of the internal genitalia in females; Novaranea have an additional pair of membranous receptacula in addition to the single pair of thick-walled receptacula in Cryptaranea. I here place the new species in Novaranea despite the apparent lack of a second pair of receptacula but based on striking similarities within the male pedipalp to the type species of Novaranea, N. queribunda. The distinct shapes of median (transverse with denticles) and terminal (asymmetrically U-shaped) apophyses of the new species much better agree with that of the type species of Novaranea than those of the type species of Cryptaranea, C. invisibilis (Urquhart, 1892). The shape of male pedipalp sclerites appears to be more informative and is used more often than internal female genitalia in araneid systematics and taxonomy (e.g., Scharff & Coddington 1997; Levi 2002, 2005).
Males and females have not been found together but the detailed agreement of somatic characters in combination with the lack of any evidence of a further southeastern Australian araneid with affinities to true Araneus or the endemic New Zealand clade leave no doubt that the two sexes described here belong to the same species.
To my knowledge, there are only a few species within the Australian Araneidae in which the epigynum has a terminal pocket. These include the araneine Larinia phthisica (L. Koch, 1871) (but no other known Australian Larinia) (Framenau & Scharff 2008) and the cyrtophorine Cyrtobill darwini Framenau & Scharff, 2009 representing a monotypic Australian genus (Framenau & Scharff 2009).
Life history and habitat preferences. Mature females of N. courti n. sp. were mainly found between January and March, although sporadically also in April, June and November. The only mature male was collected in January.
A number of habitats are recorded on the locality labels with specimens of N. courti n. sp., including in particular Southern Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) forests, Eucalyptus / Casuarina woodlands, rainforest and “heath and forest”. This suggests that this species is predominantly a forest dweller, but may venture into neighbouring heath and shrubland.
Distribution. Novaranea courti n. sp. is found in southeastern Australia, in the mainland states of New South Wales and Victoria, and in Tasmania (Fig. 4)
Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of David Court (Singapore), for his contribution to the taxonomy of the New Zealand Araneidae fauna.
description: Published as part of Framenau, Volker W., 2011, Description of a new orb-weaving spider species representing the first record of Novaranea in Australia (Araneae: Araneidae: Araneinae), pp. 47-55 in Zootaxa 2793 on pages 49-53, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.206649