Recifella flagellata Cook, 1986

Recifella flagellata Cook, 1986

Figs 1 – 2 View FIGURE View FIGURE 2 , 16A View FIGURE 16

Material examined. New South Wales. 1/0/0, Wattamolla Creek   GoogleMaps , Royal NP, 34°07.911 S 151°06.907 E, 29 m asl, 23-i-2024; 0/2/0, Waterfall Creek   GoogleMaps at Waterfall Flat, Royal NP, 34°08.678 S 151°00.266 E, 185 m asl, 24-i-2024.

Queensland. 1/1/0, Peter’s Creek at crossing with Kenilworth-Jimna   GoogleMaps road, 26°40.911 S 152°36.577 E, 3-xi-2005; 1/1/0, Bundaroo Creek   GoogleMaps , Conondale NP, 26°41.653 S 152°36.767 E, 3-xi-2005; 3/7/0, Buaraba Creek, Ravensbourne NP, 4-xi-2005 ( one male and one female slide-mounted); 5/2/0, Booloumba Creek   GoogleMaps upstream of falls, Conondale NP, 26°40.753 S 152°37.162 E, 465 m asl, 20-xi-2014.

Description. Male. Dorsal and ventral shield present; dorsal shield 469 long and 428 wide, with four pairs of glandularia ( Figure 1B View FIGURE ), fused posteriorly with ventral shield. Postocularia and one pair of glandularia lying in the dorsal furrow (as illustrated in Figure 1D View FIGURE ), but occasionally fused with the dorsal shield. Posterior pair of dorsal shield on relative large tubercles. Dorsal shield with a peculiar coloration, as illustrated in Figure 16A View FIGURE 16 : a large reddish patch in the posterior part of the shield. However, other specimens lack the reddish coloration, and are brownish. Ventral shield 628 long and 556 wide, tips of Cx-I somewhat pointed. Apodemes of anterior coxal plates extending beyond the middle of third coxal plates. Genital plates fused with the ventral shield with approximately 13–14 pairs of acetabula, 250 wide between outer margins of acetabula; gonopore 86 long. Excretory pore terminal and projecting ( Figure 1A View FIGURE ).

Palp as illustrated in Figure 1E View FIGURE : dorsal length/height: P1, 18/28; P2, 70/40; P3, 36/33; P4, 76/22; P5, 34/16; P4 not expanded distally and with a long dorsodistal seta; dorsal heavy seta at the tip of P5 widely diverging the more ventral two. Gnathosoma with anchoral process 136 long. Chelicera 119 long, claw 52 long, basal segment 75 long.

Dorsal lengths of I-leg: 50, 97, 117, 177, 150, 154; dorsal lengths of III-leg: 64, 80, 92, 119, 125, 138; III-leg-5 with a long, heavy distoventral seta with large pectinations ( Figure 2B View FIGURE 2 , inset); dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 66, 97, 111, 145, 163, 158; IV-L-5 not bowed, as illustrated in Figure 2C View FIGURE 2 . III-leg-3 with one, III-leg-4 and 5 each with three swimming setae; IV-leg-3 with one distoventral, IV-leg-4 and 5 each with three distoventral swimming setae.

Female. Dorsal shield 569 long and 469 wide, with three pairs of glandularia, completely separated from the ventral shield ( Figure 1D View FIGURE ). Ventral shield 694 long and 619 wide. Genital plates with approximately 15 – 19 pairs of acetabula, 313 wide between outer margins of acetabula; gonopore 106 long and 92 wide.

Palp: dorsal length/height: P1, 16/28; P2, 77/41; P3, 39/36; P4, 81/23; P5, 33/16. Gnathosoma with anchoral process 130 long. Chelicera 117 long.

Dorsal lengths of III-leg: 62, 88, 97, 122, 131, 136; dorsal lengths of IV-leg-2–6: 108, 120, 156, 176, 166; swimming setae as in male.

Remarks. Cook (1986) based his description of the species on one male. Later on, Smit (2007) described the female. Now more material is available, it is clear that these descriptions need an emendation. According to Cook (1986) and Smit (2007) there are no free glandularia in the dorsal furrow, but all but one specimen have a pair of glandularia (Dgl-2) and the postocularia in the dorsal furrow. In one specimen one gland and the postocularia are fused with the dorsal shield. In specimens with a narrow dorsal furrow, this gland and the postocularia are lying separately on the dorsal furrow.