Iridonyssus leucostaurus, Raven, 2015

Iridonyssus leucostaurus View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 46a–d View FIGURE 46 , 47a–c View FIGURE 47 . Map 23)

Material. Queensland: holotype ♂, Tooloombah Ck , ( NQ 41 ), 22°42'S, 149°34'E, eucalypt woodland, pitfall, 29 Jul–24 Nov 1992, R. Raven, P. & E. Lawless, M. Shaw, QM S24513 View Materials . Paratypes GoogleMaps : Queensland: 1♂, allotype 1♀, taken with holotype, QM S39583 View Materials , QM S24515 View Materials ; 1♀, Davies Ck NP, 17°00'S, 145°34'E, pitfall, 26 Nov 1992 – 15 Apr 1993, R. J. & S. Raven, P. & E. Lawless, QM S19797 View Materials ; ♂, same data but 23 Jul–26 Nov 1992, QM S19847 View Materials ; 1♀, Mt Windsor Tbld , Whypalla SF (pitfalls 6–10), 16°12'S, 144°58'E, ironbark woodland, pitfall, Summer 1992/93, S. Burnett, QM S33198 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Non-type Material. Queensland: 1♀, Nipping Gully , 25°40'S, 151°26'E, open forest, pitfall, 25 Jan–2 Jun 1999, G. Monteith, G. Thompson, QM S52256 View Materials GoogleMaps ; 1♀, Proserpine, Airport Drive , site XY12, 20°29'S, 148°34'E, closed woodland, pitfall, 5 Nov 2007 – 13 Feb 2008, R GoogleMaps . J. Raven , QM S85628 View Materials ; 1♂, Taroom district ( BS 24 ), Rock Wallaby Hill , 25°25'S, 149°58'E, vine thicket, pitfall, 12 Nov 1996 – 12 Jan 1997, P. Lawless, QM S50881 GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Carnarvon Stn near Piebald Spring , 24.8311°S, 147.742°E, 821m, 6–24 Nov 2010, C. Lambkin et al., malaise, eucalyptus/ Callistemon, QM S95189 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Males and females differ from those of I. formicans sp. nov. in the radial lines of pallid hair on the interstrial ridges ( Fig. 47a View FIGURE 47 ).

Etymology. From white cross (Greek), the emblem of the St John Ambulance, in recognition of their always appreciated attendance and supplication at sporting events in Queensland.

Description holotype male QM S24513 View Materials

Carapace 2.24 long, 1.52 wide. Abdomen 2.32 long, 1.60 wide. Total length 4.6.

Colour: carapace red brown with bands of white feathery hairs dorsally and on interstrial ridges; all femora, patellae–metatarsi IV dark red brown; patellae–tarsi I–III orange to yellow brown; abdomen dorsally with almost full dark red brown scute with black mottling evident through scute, transverse bands of feathery hairs at anterior 1/ 6 and 1/3; femora, and to a lesser extent patellae and tibiae, with large white hairs; ventrally, sternum dark red brown with orange brown coxae; genital scute orange brown, ventral scute dark red brown. Carapace: uniform cover of small pustules; not iridescent; fovea in broad plateau, ca. three lengths from very steep, concave slope; margins rugose; caput rises slightly from fovea to just behind PME. Eyes: group occupies ca. half of headwidth. Sternum, coxae and ventral scute pustulose. Legs: femoral constriction on IV strong, weaker on III. Sub-basal spine on retrolateral femur III ca. half length of distal spine. Spines. I: fe p1d3; ti v1.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe d2; ti v1.2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r2; ti p2r2v1.2; me p2r2v2.2.3 IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r2v1.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; ti p2. Abdomen: dorsal scute for 7/8 length with short collar (dorsally and ventrally); genital scute strong with closed post-epigastric sclerites; ventral scute broad, edges convex, converging posteriorly from anterior 1/5; tracheal region smooth, low domed. Palp: tibia with broad shallow excavation; cymbium without scopula or paracymbial spine, apically with three short thick setae. Subtegulum projects slightly on prolateral edge and indents shallowly retrolaterally; bulb large with single loop in spermatic duct; low pre-embolic ridge with small twisted embolus.

Allotype female QM S24515 View Materials . Like ♂ except:

Carapace 2.48 long, 1.72 wide. Abdomen 2.12 long, 1.60 wide. Total length 4.6.

Colour: carapace brown with fine black feathery hairs in striae and broader bands of white hair on interstrial ridges. Legs yellow brown with black feathery hairs dorsally on femora and laterally around spine bases, white band around distal tibia IV; patellae-tarsi yellow brown; abdomen dorsally with roughly square red brown scute for half length, a broad medial band forming broad arrow in posterior quarter, laterally with dark 'shoulders' dorsally and large pallid anterior crescent and small posterior pallid ovoid region; ventrally sternum, coxae and genital scute orange brown, ventrally a broad pallid rhomboid. Chelicerae: with shield of 8–9 thick black fang setae. Scopula absent. Black feathery hairs on femora-metatarsi. Spines: all strong. I: fe p1d2; ti v1.2.2; me v.2.2. II: fe p1d2; ti v1.2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r2; ti p2r2v2.2.1; me p2r2v2.2.3. Basal spines on lateral femur III. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1d1w; ti p2d1w; ta p2 basal. Abdomen: tracheal scute broad hirsute semicircle with small, glabrous mound medially. Post-epigastric sclerites closed. Epigyne: paragenital brackets diffuse and only for basal 2/3 of length of epigyne. Post-epigastric sclerites crescentic, copulatory fossae lead to highly folded basal duct and into spermathecae.

Distribution and Habitat. Known from open forest from the Windsor Tableland, west of Cairns to south-eastern Queensland.