Aname tropicana, Wilson & Harvey & Simmons & Rix, 2025

Aname tropicana sp. nov.

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Figs 1 View Fig , 9 View Fig , 62–63 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Males of A. tropicana sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which males are known except A. calida sp. nov., A. carina , A. cassowariensis sp. nov., A. harmoniosa sp. nov., and A. robertsorum by a moderate to large body size (carapace length>4.0 mm), and the presence of a long embolus (embolus length / bulb length>1.5) that is thin, with a sharp bend near its base before a relatively straight distal section ( Fig. 62L–M View Fig ). Males of A. tropicana can be distinguished from those of A. carina , A. harmoniosa , and A. robertsorum by the presence of a shorter embolus (embolus length / bulb length <2) ( Fig. 62L–M View Fig ; cf. Figs 57 View Fig , 60–61 View Fig View Fig ). Males of A. tropicana can be distinguished from those of A. calida and A. cassowariensis by the presence of thicker leg and pedipalp segments (e.g., metatarsus I length / width <4) ( Fig. 62J–K, N–Q View Fig ; cf. Figs 56 View Fig , 59 View Fig ).

Females of A. tropicana sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which females are known except A. carina by the presence of bicoloured legs, with darker femurs and lighter distal segments, and spermathecae with two vesicles, with relatively long and straight lateral vesicles (lateral vesicle length / genitalia width> 0.25) that are laterally angled, and medial vesicles that are shorter or about equal in length to the lateral vesicles, and and curve gradually from a medial to a lateral angle ( Fig. 63J–L View Fig ). Females of A. tropicana can be distinguished those of from A. carina by the presence of spermathecae with shorter medial vesicles (medial vesicle length/ lateral vesicle length ~ 0.7; cf. ~ 1 in A. carina ) ( Fig. 63L View Fig ; cf. Fig. 58 View Fig ).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ tropicana ’ is a Latin adjective meaning ‘of the tropics’, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, in reference to the distribution of this species near the coast of tropical Queensland.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♂; Mount Molloy ; 16°44′ S, 145°19′ E; 400 m a.s.l.; Jan. 1992 – Jan. 1993; Scott Barnett leg.; pitfall trap, riparian/woodland; QMB S59009 .

GoogleMaps

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀; Mount Molloy, Wetherby Road , NE of Rifle Creek Rest Area ; 16°40′ S, 145°20′ E; 396 m a.s.l.; 9 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, wet sclerophyll forest; QMB S118312 View Materials GoogleMaps • 1 ♂; Trinity Beach ; 16°47′ S, 145°42′ E; 17 Oct. 1988; S. Wright leg.; AMS KS19694 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; SW of Trinity Beach , McGregor Road, Smithfield Regional Park ; 16°49′ S, 145°41′ E; 44 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground, rainforest; QMB S118310 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Description

Male (holotype, QMB S59009)

GENERAL ( Fig. 62A–Q View Fig ). Body length 15.02, in good condition, colour presumably faded due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA ( Fig. 62A, E–F View Fig ). Carapace length 5.98, width 5.01, length/width 1.19, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.72, caput width/carapace width 0.69, carapace red-brown, caput slightly darker than thorax, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.15 ( Fig. 62A, F View Fig ); chelicerae dark red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.52 ( Fig. 62A View Fig ); eye group rectangular, width/length 2.18, eye tubercle present ( Fig. 62E View Fig ).

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 62B, D View Fig ). Abdomen length 5.85, brown, dorsal pattern absent, with reflective setae on anterior portion.

VENTRAL PROSOMA ( Fig. 62C, G–I View Fig ). Labium cuspules absent ( Fig. 62H View Fig ); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 162, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 50% of maxillae length ( Fig. 62C, I View Fig ); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present ( Fig. 62C, I View Fig ); sternum length/width 1.26, most setae from anterior half rubbed off, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges ( Fig. 62G–H View Fig ); posterior sigilla ovoid, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.32, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.11 ( Fig. 62G–H View Fig ); other sigilla small, round and lateral ( Fig. 62G–H View Fig ).

LEG I ( Fig. 62N–Q View Fig ). Leg I red-brown, lighter on patella, tibia, distal metatarsus and tarsus, reflective setae on dorsal femur, femur length 4.72, patella length 3.16, tibia length 3.49, metatarsus length 3.48, tarsus length 2.05, total length 16.90, leg I length/carapace length 2.83 ( Fig. 62N–O View Fig ); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus ( Fig. 62N–O View Fig ); spine count Fe D 1, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2 (distal rubbed off), Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 ( Fig. 62N–O View Fig ); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.83, widening from proximal end to spur before narrowing again towards distal end, spur present, intermediate triangular/ digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 33 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.65, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.70, megaspine length/tibia length 0.28 ( Fig. 62N– P View Fig ); metatarsus slightly sinuous, proximal excavation present, excavation concave with inconspicuous heel, heel rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.46, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 3.85 ( Fig. 62N–O, Q View Fig ).

PEDIPALP ( Fig. 62J–M View Fig ). Tibia length 2.57, width 1.17, length/width [PTL/PTD] 2.19, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.55, retrolateral face with short, thorn-like setae along retrolateral edge of depression, getting denser proximally, ventral face with two elongate bristle-like setae below depression, prolateral face with two disto-ventral spines, disto-medial spine absent ( Fig. 62J–K View Fig ); patella prolateral face with 2 (distal rubbed off) spines ( Fig. 62J–K View Fig ); cymbium with scopulae present distally ( Fig. 62J–K View Fig ); copulatory organ total length 1.50, length/palp tibia length 0.58 ( Fig. 62L–M View Fig ); bulb length/width 0.92 ( Fig. 62L–M View Fig ); embolus slightly reflexed, attenuate, very thin, protruding laterally with strong basal curve, one strong bend, at about 0.2 of length, slight bend before tip, width at base/bulb width 0.21, embolus length/bulb length 1.91 ( Fig. 62L–M View Fig ).

Female (QMB S118310)

GENERAL ( Fig. 63A–L View Fig ). Body length 17.76, in good condition.

DORSAL PROSOMA ( Fig. 63A, E–F View Fig ). Carapace length 6.71, width 5.98, length/width 1.12, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.71, caput width/carapace width 0.73, carapace dark red-brown, reflective setae present, moderate on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.14 ( Fig. 63A, F View Fig ); chelicerae dark red-brown, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.58 ( Fig. 63A View Fig ); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.87, eye tubercle present ( Fig. 63E View Fig ).

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 63B, D View Fig ). Abdomen length 7.21, dark grey-brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA ( Fig. 63C, G–I View Fig ). Labium cuspules absent ( Fig. 63H View Fig ); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 143, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 45% of maxillae length ( Fig. 63C, I View Fig ); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present ( Fig. 63C, I View Fig ); sternum length/width 1.17, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges ( Fig. 63G–H View Fig ); posterior sigilla ovoid, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/ sternum length 0.23, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.13 ( Fig. 63G–H View Fig ); other sigilla small, round and lateral ( Fig. 63G–H View Fig ).

LEG I ( Fig. 63J–K View Fig ). Leg I red-brown, darker on femur, femur length 5.11, patella length 3.35, tibia length 3.80, metatarsus length 3.35, tarsus length 1.98, total length 17.59, leg I length/carapace length 2.62; scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus; spine count Fe D 1, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 1, Ti RL 4 (proximal weak), Me PL 2, Me RL 3, Ta 0; tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.65.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 63D, L View Fig ). Epigastric furrow unmodified ( Fig. 63D View Fig ); spermathecae with two vesicles each ( Fig. 63L View Fig ); lateral vesicle relatively straight, length 0.55, lateral vesicle length/genitalia width 0.45, length/width at base 2.00, crown un-demarcated ( Fig. 63L View Fig ); medial vesicle long and curving evenly from medial to lateral angle, medial vesicle length/genitalia width 0.30, length/width 2.45, medial vesicle length/lateral vesicle length 0.68 ( Fig. 63L View Fig ).

Distribution and natural history

Aname tropicana sp. nov. occurs in northern Queensland, predominantly in the Wet Tropics bioregion. It is known from two localities, inland near Mount Molloy, and on the coast near Trinity Beach ( Fig. 9 View Fig ). It constructs an open, silk-lined burrow with some silk outside of the entrance, and with a hidden secondary ‘wishbone’ entrance ( Fig. 9 View Fig ).