Battalus diadens, Raven, 2015

Battalus diadens View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 24a–g View FIGURE 24 , 25a–d View FIGURE 25 . Map 7)

Material. Victoria: holotype ♂, McLellands Rd , 0.1 km N Rathbones Road, 36°09'S, 145°13'E, 17–22 Jan 1994, G. Milledge, MV K4527 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: Victoria: 1♂, Murray Valley Hwy, Deep Creek Crossing, 36°08'S, 145°11'E, 17–22 Jan 1994, G. Milledge, MV K4523 GoogleMaps ; 3♀, State Forest , 3.5 km NE Yambuna, 36°06'S, 145°02'E, 18–23 Jul 1994, G. Milledge & P. Lillywhite, MV K4395 GoogleMaps ; allotype ♀, Murray Valley Highway, 0.3 km NNW Walshs Bridge Road, 36°06'S, 145°11'E, 18–23 Jul 1994, G. Milledge & P. Lillywhite, MV K4437 GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Cohuna , CVIC952 . South Australia: 1♂, Chowilla (Survey NCSSA), Slaney Creek on lagoon bank, 12–13 Nov 1988, S. Lewer, SAMA NN687 About SAMA . Queensland: 1♂, Cherrabah , 28°25'S, 152°10'E, 24–28 Sep 2002, B. Baehr, QM S59614 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of B. wallum sp. nov. by the apically expanded paracymbial spine ( Fig. 24c View FIGURE 24 ) and the massive fangs ( Fig. 25d View FIGURE 25 ) that constrict at midpoint. Females are unusual in the combination of relatively simple spermathecae ( Fig. 24g View FIGURE 24 ) and no spines on ventral palpal femur.

Etymology. The species epithet comes from the large diagonal fangs.

Description holotype male MV K4527

Carapace 4.56 long, 3.28 wide. Abdomen 4.96 wide, 2.96 wide. Total length 9.7.

Colour: carapace dark red brown, strial edges darker, grooves lighter, generally red brown, becoming less dark behind fovea; abdomen pigmentation abnormal, cuticle separated, in paratypes entirely dark brown dorsally and laterally with fine light spots of white hair tufts in two bands under scute; ventral abdomen centrally a pallid quadrangle. Chelicerae and fangs, maxillae and labium dark red brown; sternum sepia; coxae and legs yellow brown. Legs not banded but dark flecks on darker tibiae and metatarsi III. Carapace: with fine bristles but no hair. Broad with distinct anterior constriction, posterior margin deeply indented; fovea short, deep. Eyes: AME clearly the largest, within diameter of each other and above carapace margin, group about twice as wide as long. Chelicerae: large, rotated so fangs diagonal; anterior process indistinct, hair horizontal, slender; fangs long, diagonal with pre-medial constriction, tips near mouth; furrow also long, almost paraxial; promargin with one large and one smaller tooth; retromargin with 2 similar medium-sized teeth, all teeth set at ca. half furrow length; low cheliceral lobe with horizontal normal setae. Maxillae: short with short wide basal central ridge; ectal margins distinctly concave; ental edge sloping; serrula long. Labium: clearly wider than long. Sternum: broad, shield-shaped with intercoxal triangles between I and II. Legs: lightly hirsute; coxae with distinct basal spur retrobasally on II–IV; trochanters with shallow notches— ca. 3–4 times wider than deep. Spines: On tibiae I and II paired ventral spines weak, short, spines one length between each pair. I: fe pv1 long p2d3r1; ti v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe pv1p2d3r1; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me p1v2.2. III: fe p3d3r3; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r4v2.2.2. IV: fe p2d3r1; pa 0 apical weak ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.2. Palp: fe p1d2; pa d2.1; ti p2d1; cymbium 2 probasal. Thick short setae in irregular ventrolateral bands on tarsi III and IV. Scopula: short narrow ventral flange on tarsi I, II and divided in distal third of metatarsi I and II. Claws and tufts: similar size and length on all legs, tufts project forward and up to claws, claws on I and II not enclosed by tuft (even when retracted). Claw tufts dense, as high as claws of similar size on I and IV, each with ca. 5 small teeth. Palp: cymbium with distinct ovoid retrobasal paracymbial spine and cluster of short hairs and small spines apically around distinct groove to tip; basally with 2 spines; bulb with scooped pre-haematodochal plate; parategular lobe small, tegulum with double-looped sperm duct and twisted short embolus with low pre-distal keel. Tibia with prolateral concavity. Abdomen: scutes: dorsal, ovoid with irregular margin, to midlength and not extending to flank; ventral, not enclosing pedicel, lightly sclerotised over genital region and booklungs, no post-epigastric sclerite; tracheal, slightly raised ridge wide, deep, darkly sclerotised, with less sclerotised triangular shield up to and behind it, well separated from spinnerets in holotype but on distinct elevated ridge in paratype. Spinnerets: ALS wider than PLS but of similar length.

Allotype Female MV K4437 . As for ♂ except:

Carapace 3.84 long, 2.72 wide. Abdomen 5.04 long, 3.12 wide. Total length 9.0.

Colour: carapace with dark caput and paler thoracic region; abdomen dark brown dorsally, with white hair tufts more distinct: two larger ovoid medially, then three pairs of tufts: anterior tiny, posterior two larger, then three transverse bands of short white hair, and in front of spinnerets on each side a large white area. Carapace & eyes: like ♂ with ovoid PME. Chelicerae: stout vertical, with pronounced fang shield with 15–20 large thick curved black vertical setae. Fang long but shorter than in ♂; concavity around fang long and teeth (as for ♂) just proximal to it. Maxillae and labium as ♂. Sternum: weak but distinct pre-coxal triangular extensions between III and IV. Legs: trochanters with very shallow rounded notches. Spines: three basal pairs on tibia I and II, much longer than in ♂, overlapping; fourth pair shorter, weak. I: fe pv1p2d2; ti v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe (all short weak) pv1d3r1; ti p2 short v2.2.2.2; me p1v2.2. III: fe (all short weak) p3d3r3; ti p2d1r2v2.2.1; me p3r3v2.2.2 + 2. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1d1 apical ti p2 (basal) d1; ta p2 basal v1. Palp: tarsus long, distinctly subdistally incrassate; slender bare claw; cluster of short thick setae and hairs predistally on dorsal mound. Abdomen: small ovoid scute dorsally just over anterior shoulder ca. for 1/8th length, genital scute with well defined ventral edge. Tracheal ridge distally elevated. Distinct post-epigastric sclerites oval. Epigyne: with two relatively large apertures basally. Spermathecae with longitudinal medial duct, moderately large distal lobe and simple single lateral lobe.

Distribution and Habitat. Known from mallee and north central Victoria near the New South Wales border and adjacent areas of South Australia and through to southern Queensland.

MAPS 7–12. Records of Australian species of Battalus Karsch, 1878 .