Megalopsalis (Intutoportula), 2025

Megalopsalis (Intutoportula) new subgenus

Fig. 4a View FIGURE 4

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1743293F-E793-4639-9E31-1526FAACBBF8

Type species: Spinicrus minimum Kauri, 1954 View in CoL .

Other included species (original combinations): Spinicrus porongorupense Kauri, 1954 ; Megalopsalis suffugiens Taylor, 2013b View in CoL ; Megalopsalis walpolensis Taylor, 2013b View in CoL .

Etymology: Gender feminine, from the Latin intutus, unguarded, and portula, a small gate, hence ‘a small unguarded gate’, in reference to the lack of a grill of spines at the spiracle opening.

Description: Pedipalp patella of both sexes lacking distinct apophysis or hypersetose area; tarsal claw with ventral tooth-row. Penis ( Fig. 4a View FIGURE 4 )with glans short, subtriangular, basally deep but rapidly narrowing distad in lateral view; bristle groups relatively long; shaft with distinct waist behind bristle groups. Spiracle with covering spines almost or entirely absent but usually with lace tubercles present in lateral corner ( Taylor 2013b).

Comments: This subgenus corresponds to the Megalopsalis minima species-group as recognised by Taylor (2013b). The spiracle morphology, lacking either protective spines or enantiophysis, has not been recorded from any other Phalangioidea ( Šilhavý 1970). These structures are presumed to offer protection from desiccation so their absence in Intutoportula must be considered curious. Intutoportula species are restricted to southern Western Australia ( Kauri 1954; Taylor 2013b), with three of the four species inhabiting the High Rainfall Province of the south-western land division, a region recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot ( Rix et al. 2015; Brundrett 2021). The outlier is M. suffugiens which may be able to survive in its more arid Nullarbor habitat through its association with subterranean refugia ( Taylor 2013b).