Ticopa chinchilla, Raven, 2015

Ticopa chinchilla View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 129a View FIGURE 129 , 130a–f View FIGURE 130 . Map 86)

Material. Queensland: holotype, ♂, Braemar State Forest , 27°12'S, 150°50'E, pyrethrum knockdown, 5 Feb 1980, G. Monteith, QM S29499 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. The male differs from those of T. australis sp. nov. in the lobular embolic tip. Female unknown.

Etymology. A noun in apposition taken from the type-locality.

Description holotype QM S29499 View Materials

Carapace 4.69 long, 3.50 wide. Abdomen 3.38 long, 2.50wide. Total length 8.6.

Colour: carapace yellow brown with brown markings, continuous irregular around anterior carapace, two large Australia-shaped marks on caput, lateral of fovea small irregular patches, long medial patch flanked by two broken curved areas on back slope; irregular small areas submarginally across striae; chelicerae dark brown with orange brown Vee medially; eyes with brown masks; abdomen dorsally yellow brown with broken medial band for length and diagonal brown bands, ventrally pallid with brown marks; legs yellow brown with small brown areas ventrally on femora around spine bases and bands on distal femora, basal and subdistal tibiae and metatarsi. Carapace: with light cover of large feathery hairs on brown thoracic region, white on caput; cuticle more or less smooth; lateral margins not serrate and without sharp ledge; no pre-fovea saddle; fovea on ridge, not plateau; striae distinct shallow grooves; one long bristle below AME and horizontal under ALE. Eyes: AME clearly largest, not on tubercle; ALE about smallest, not on tubercle with PLE. Chelicerae: small, vertical; fang shield indistinct; one large and one small basal tooth on promargin, two large on retromargin; furrow almost vertical, short; retrobasal ridge distinct, aspinose. Maxillae: with low glabrous mound basally; outer edge convex, apex rounded. Labium wider than long. Sternum: widely cordate with weak intercoxal extensions at I/II, II/III; weak pre-coxal sclerites on II and III; low profile with cover of long erect bristles and short brown hairs. Legs: coxae with midventral bristle; no RCH; trochanter IV with asymmetrical notch deeper distally, only distal process distinct on I and IIl; large brown feathery hairs, especially dense around brown areas on legs; scopula distinct on all tarsi, divided widely on IV; in distal half of metatarsi III and IV. Spines: not overlapping on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. I and II: fe pv1p2d3r1; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me p1v2.2. III: fe p3d3r3; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.3; me p3r3v2.1.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa (bristles) p1d1.1; ti 2 bristles basal. Abdomen: light cover of brown feathery hairs. Dorsal scute narrow for anterior third; genital`scute' not sclerotised except in genital area. Tracheal scute wide, oval, with wide distal ridge. Palp: tibia with lightly proventral depression, not forming tibial keel or distal ridge; cymbium: lateral margins narrow, prolaterally with dense bush of long bristles for distal half of bulb, anterior cone grooved almost to tip but gradual and shallow; retrobasally with rounded margin above which a flat shovel-like paracymbial spine on raised mound. Distinct scopula dorsally for distal third; bulb short, subtegulum not evident laterally on either side. Embolic portion with basal narrow spiralled collar becoming rugose long and lobular with wide apex set above it.

Distribution and habitat. Known only from Braemar State Forest, south-eastern Queensland, an area of open forest bushland.