Battalus bidgemia, Raven, 2015

Battalus bidgemia View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 28a, b View FIGURE 28 , 31c View FIGURE 31 . Map 10)

Material. Western Australia: holotype ♂, Bidgemia Station ( GJ4 ), Gascoyne Junction , 25°05'17.4"S, 115°22'48.0"E, 17 Aug–5 Oct 1994, wet pits, A. Sampey et al., WAM 98 About WAM GoogleMaps / 1649. Paratypes: Western Australia: 1♂, same data but 25°07'08.1"S, 115°25'33.1"E, ( GJ3 ), 6 Jun–20 Aug 1995, wet pits, N. Hall, WAM 98 About WAM GoogleMaps / 1650; 1♂, Meedo Stn ( MD4 ), 25°40'49.1"S, 114°37'19.8"E, 9–14 Oct 1994, dry pits, P. West et al., WAM 98 About WAM GoogleMaps / 1651; 1♂, Kennedy Ra NP, 24°34'14.3"S, 114°57'11.9"E, 3–8 Oct 1994, dry pits, M.S. Harvey et al., WAM 98 About WAM GoogleMaps / 1652. All from WAM / CALM Carnarvon Survey. 1♂, D'Entrecasteaux, The Colonels , under bark, 4 Dec 1995, C. Deeleman, CLD collection; 1♂, Jarrahdale, K. Brennan, WAM T74049 ; 1♂, "Sieda", Fitz. Loc. 41, Grasspatch , 33°13'56"S, 121°46'00"E, 7 Apr 1997, A. Longbottom, WAM T74050 GoogleMaps . Queensland: 1♂, Camooweal, NE at 1st floodway on Gregory Downs-Camooweal , 19°47'S, 138°12'E, open forest, pitfall, 30 Jun–23 Sep 2006, R GoogleMaps . Raven, B. Baehr, A. Amey, QM S75823 View Materials ; 1♂, Drummond Range , summit, 23°32'S, 147°17'E, open forest, flight intercept trap, 18 Dec 2000 – 27 Mar 2001, D. Cook, G. Monteith, QM S56931 GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Lords Table plateau, site 2, 22°39'S, 148°01'E, eucalypt woodland, flight intercept trap, 10 Jan–7 Mar 2006, C. Burwell, QM S80267 GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Osbourne Mine site, SSE Mt Isa, Site 5B, 22°07'S, 140°34'E, pitfall, Dec 1996, QM S34724 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Males resemble those of B. rugosus sp. nov. in the short paracymbial spine ( Fig. 28a View FIGURE 28 ) and the broad predistal keel but differ in the long embolic tip ( Fig. 28a View FIGURE 28 ), the distodorsal setae on the cymbium circle the tip ( Fig. 31c View FIGURE 31 ), and coxae I are not rugose ( Fig. 31d View FIGURE 31 ); no retrolateral spines are present on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. Female unknown.

Etymology. A noun in apposition from the type locality.

Description holotype male WAM 98/1649

Carapace 3.60 long, 2.56 wide. Abdomen 3.52 long, 2.32 wide. Total length 7.2.

Colour: carapace orange brown, darker brown marking along carapace margin and paramedially; chelicerae red brown; legs fawn, not banded; abdomen fawn brown dorsally, long brown ovoid scute in anterior half; concentric fine blue black ridges sandwiched between fawn grooves; ventrally fawn with orange brown tracheal scute; maxillae and labium red brown; sternum and coxae yellowish. Carapace: with uniform cover of fine hair; fovea short, deep. Posterior slope gradual from behind fovea. Eyes: PME>ALE =0.5 x AME>PLE. Chelicerae: small, pustulose; fang shield a rounded flange, hair horizontal, slender. Fangs moderately long, diagonal. Furrow short; dentition 2R, 2P, not opposed. Sternum: broadly cordate. Coxae I smooth ventrally. Spines: ventrally on tibiae I and II, three pairs of long, strong, attenuate spines on raised bases, plus shorter distal pair, and on palpal femur ventrally three strong erect tapering spines and strong bristle. I: fe pv1 long p2d3r1; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me p1v2.2. II: fe pv1p2d3r1; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me p1v2.2. III: fe p3d3r3; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p2r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r2; pa 0; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2v3; pa p1d1; ti p2d1; cymbium 1, probasidorsal 2. Scopula: entirely absent. Claws and tufts similar size and length on all legs, tufts occur between claws (ca. 6 teeth). Tarsi IV ventrally with cluster of short, thick, black serrate setae. Palp: tibia with prolateral glabrous saddle; cymbium fusilliform with low, rounded paracymbial spine; narrow scopula dorsally for distal half mixed with 4–5 transverse bands of short serrate setae; bulb pyriform with very shallow pro- and retrolateral parategular indentations; pre-embolic ridge short, low; screw-like broader distal flange flat, wide, short, just behind short tube-like embolus. Abdomen: scutes: dorsal, narrow ovoid with smooth margin, almost to midlength and not extending to flank; genital scute not enclosing pedicel, lightly sclerotised over genital region and booklungs, post-epigastric sclerites broad, closed; tracheal strongly raised wide ridge, lightly sclerotised and with short thorn-like setae near ridge.

Distribution and Habitat. Known from Bidgemia and Meedo Station, NW Western Australia, to the Gulf of Carpentaria, northwestern Queensland and south to Drummond Ra, south central Queensland. These are areas of open forest, or often sparsely covered with small trees.