Artifex joannae, (BERLAND, 1924), 2018

ARTIFEX JOANNAE ( BERLAND, 1924) View in CoL COMB. NOV.

FIGS 42–44

Phonognatha joannae Berland, 1924: 213 View in CoL , figs 118– 120 (female, male).

Type material: Holotype (1M, 10 FF): New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Maré , 18.xi.1911 ( MNHN, not examined).

Diagnosis: This species is known exclusively from New Caledonia. Epigynum is similar to that of A. melanopyga comb. nov., but the median septum is thinner in the middle while in A. melanopyga is uniformly wide across its entire length ( Fig. 42D vs. Fig. 39D), and has ring-like markings on the dorsum of the abdomen ( Fig. 44A). The epigynum of P. neocaledonica comb. nov. (the other New Caledonian zygielline) lacks large copulatory openings separated by a septum. Male is known only from original description (see male description below).

Description

Female ( Figs 43–44) (from Mandjélia, WAM 85308): Total length 12.43. Carapace 6.01 long, 4.30 wide, 1.91 high. Carapace with reddish brown cephalic area and yellowish brown thoracic area; sternum 2.41 long, 1.98 wide, reddish brown with pale median region. Eye rows slightly recurved, anterior row more so than the posterior. AMEs on small prominence; lateral eyes juxtaposed, paired on a small prominences; AME diameter 0.31; AMEs interdistance slightly more than c. 1 AME diameter; AME–PME distance slightly more than c. 1 AME diameter. Clypeus c. 3/4 AME diameter. Paturon reddish brown, with three prolateral and three retrolateral teeth; cheliceral fang curves mesally about a third of the way from the chelicera. Legs coloured as cephalothorax; femur I sigmoid; formula 1243: femur I 4.98, patella I 1.72, tibia I 4.36, metatarsus I 5.66, tarsus I 1.60; femur II 4.22, patella II 1.59, tibia II 3.72, metatarsus II 4.37, tarsus II 1.42; femur III 2.94, patella III 1.25, tibia III 2.14, metatarsus III 2.71, tarsus III 1.14; femur IV 3.97, patella IV 1.32, tibia IV 2.95, metatarsus IV 3.50, tarsus IV 1.12. Abdomen 9.63 long, 6.98 wide, 6.12 high, light brown with pale guanine crystals; pair of dark brown markings located anteriorly, with two to three ring-shaped brown markings, and dark brown caudally; two longitudinal stripes of guanocytes between epigastric furrow and spinning field. Epigynum with two large ventral-facing, sclerotized copulatory openings, separate by a median septum more constricted in the centre; copulatory ducts turn ventrally before reaching spermathecae; fertilization ducts emerge from the posterior region of the spermathecae and extend dorsally.

Male: The male is illustrated in Berland (1924), but we were not able to obtain the specimens. Based on the illustration, the pedipalps of A. melanopyga comb. nov. and A. joannae comb. nov. are similar but we cannot elaborate on details based on Berland’s original description.

Variation: Females’ (N = 6) total length 11.35–14.11; carapace length 4.87–6.01, width 3.32–4.30, height 1.53–2.16; abdomen length 7.34–9.63, width 4.94–6.98,

AUSTRALASIAN LEAF-CURLING SPIDER SYSTEMATICS 1131

height 4.83–6.40; sternum length 2.01–2.49, width 1.90–2.01.

Natural history: Multiple specimens have embolus plugging the epigynum, similar to A. melanopyga . This is paired with a trait that seems to be codistributed with epigynal plugs in this lineage: a distally serrated embolus. Furthermore, the male size reported by Berland (1924) suggests sexual size dimorphism, which it would also share with its congeneric and Deliochus .

Distribution: Known exclusively from New Caledonia ( Fig. 42).

Additional material examined: New Caledonia: Rivière Bleue , −22.083, 166.650, 9.ii. 1993, 240 m, M. S. Harvey, N. I. Platnick, R GoogleMaps . J. Raven, rainforest, 1F ( WAM T87838 ); Mount Mandjélia , −22.583, 164.533, 17.ii. 1993, 600 m, M. S. Harvey, N.I. Platnick, R GoogleMaps . J. Raven, rainforest, 1F ( WAM T85308 ); Col de Rousselles , −21.450, 165.467, M. S. Harvey, N.I. Platnick, R GoogleMaps . J. Raven, rainforest, 1F ( WAM T85309 ); Ile des Pins , near Grotte de la 3eme, −22.617, 167.433, M. S. Harvey, N. I. Platnick, R GoogleMaps . J. Raven, rainforest, 1F ( WAM T85310 ); 7 miles E of La Foa, −21.774, 165.917 *, 1.ii.1945, C. L. Remington, 1F ( WAM); Loyalty Islands , Lifu Island , −20.966, 167.258 *, 5.ix.1938, L. MacMillan, 1F ( WAM); Forêt Thy Reserve, −22.167, 166.917 *, 21.v. 1984, 150 m, G. Monteith, D. Cook, 1F ( QM S45465 View Materials ); Mount Koghis, −22.168, 166.534 *, 26.v. 1984, 400 m, G. Monteith, D. Cook, 1F ( QM S45467 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

MISPLACED TAXA