Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae) Author Framenau, Volker W. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7724-3831 Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia & Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia 6103, Australia & Zoological Museum Hamburg, Leibnitz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Centre for Taxonomy & Morphology, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany volker.framenau@murdoch.edu.au Author Baptista, Renner L. C. Laboratorio de Diversidade de Aracnideos, Universidade do Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941 - 902, Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Author Oliveira, Francisca Samia M. Laboratorio de Diversidade de Aracnideos, Universidade do Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941 - 902, Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Author Castanheira, Pedro de S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0623-1622 Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia & Laboratorio de Diversidade de Aracnideos, Universidade do Brasil / Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941 - 902, Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil text Evolutionary Systematics 2021 2021-11-02 5 2 275 334 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474 2535-0730-2-275 9AC22770F3004265A21F841EA364FFD5 671FAEEE86B25BE9A720A18193BC42B1 Hortophora cucullus Framenau & Castanheira sp. nov. Figs 2B , 9 , 10 , 11 Type material. Holotype male, Pandappa Conservation Park ( 33°10'00"S , 139°08'15"E , South Australia, Australia), 22-25 April 2003, D. Hirst, night collection, mallee and sparse chenopods (SAM NN19582). Etymology. The specific epithet is a masculine noun in apposition from Latin Hortophora cucullus - a monk's hat, and refers to the distinct abdominal shape, specifically of the male of this species. Other material examined. See Appendix 1. Diagnosis. Males of Hortophora cucullus sp. nov. can be easily identified from all other Hortophora species by the lateral lobes on the abdomen of both males (Fig. 9A ) and females (Fig. 10A ), which are absent in all other species. In addition, males (and less so females) differ by the dorsally drawn up abdomen (Fig. 9B ). The male pedipalp H. cucullus sp. nov. has two macrosetae on the patella (Fig. 9E ), one being smaller, but there is only one in all other Hortophora gen. nov. species. Figure 9. Hortophora cucullus sp. nov., male holotype (SAM NN19582). A. dorsal habitus; B. lateral habitus; C. ventral habitus; D. left pedipalp, ventral view; E. left pedipalp, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2 mm ( A-C ); 0.2 mm ( D, E ). Figure 10. Hortophora cucullus sp. nov., female (WAM T70164). A. dorsal habitus; B. ventral habitus; C. epigyne, ventral view; D. epigyne, lateral view; E. epigyne, posterior view. Scale bars: 2 mm ( A, B ); 0.2 mm ( C-E ). Description. Male (holotype, SAM NN19582): Total length 11.5. Carapace 4.1 long, 2.9 wide, dark brown with yellow setae mainly centrally (Fig. 9A ). Eyes diameter AME 0.23, ALE 0.13, PME 0.20, PLE 0.13; row of eyes: AME 0.67, PME 0.61, PLE 1.37. Chelicerae brown; two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Legs brown to light brown, femora basally yellow-brown (Fig. 9A-C ). Tibiae of leg II very little enlarged and without strong spines, but distinct white setae ventrally (Figs 2B , 9A-C ). Leg formula I> IV> II> III; and length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 5.0 + 2.6 + 4.7 + 4.0 + 1.6 = 17.9, II - 4.0 + 2.2 + 3.7 + 0.9 + 1.5 = 12.3, III - 2.9 + 1.3 + 2.0 + 1.5 + 0.9 = 8.6, IV - 3.4 + 1.8 + 3.3 + 3.4 + 1.2 = 13.1. Labium 0.36 long, 0.52 wide, brown; endites brown. Sternum 1.9 long, 0.9 wide, dark brown with few yellow setae (Fig. 9C ). Abdomen 7.5 long, 3.5 wide, dorsally extended and arching posteriorly and with lateral protrusions (Fig. 9A-C ); dorsum olive-brown and mottled yellow-brown (Fig. 9A-C ); venter dark olive-brown (Fig. 9C ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.7 + 0.4 + 0.3 + 1.3 = 2.7; paracymbium short (Fig. 9E ); median apophysis elongate transverse and apically bifid curved tip (Fig. 9D ); conductor lobe large and rectangular, clearly connecting to the conductor basis from beneath the embolus (Fig. 9D ); terminal apophysis bubble-shaped tapering into an elongated, sclerotised tip (Fig. 9D ); conductor with strong sclerotised tip (Fig. 9D, E ); embolus strong and curved apically (Fig. 9D ). Female (WAM T70164): Total length 13.1. Carapace 6.0 long, 5.2 wide; reddish-brown, cephalic area and lateral flanks darker, flanks covered in with white setae (Fig. 10A ). Eyes diameter AME 0.32, ALE 0.18, PME 0.16, PLE 0.18; row of eyes: AME 0.88, PME 0.79, PLE 2.36. Chelicerae dark reddish-brown; four promarginal teeth (apical and third largest) and two retromarginal teeth (basal largest). Legs orange-brown and mottled in dark brown especially along joints (Fig. 10A, B ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 1.3 + 1.0 + 1.1 + 2.0 = 5.4. Leg formula I> IV> II> III; and length of segments: I - 6.2 + 3.6 + 4.8 + 4.1 + 1.5 = 20.2, II - 5.6 + 3.8 + 4.7 + 0.9 + 1.3 = 16.3, III - 4.1 + 2.1 + 2.0 + 2.3 + 1.0 = 11.5, IV - 4.6 + 3.2 + 4.0 + 3.9 + 1.3 = 17.0. Labium 0.94 long, 1.26 wide, dark brown; endites reddish-brown (Fig. 10B ). Sternum 2.7 long, 2.0 wide, dark brown, with white setae particularly along the lateral edges (Fig. 10B ). Abdomen 8.8 long, 8.2 wide, with lateral, dorsal and posterior humps, dorsum dark olive-brown, mottled with yellow spots (Fig. 10A ); venter olive-brown with lateral rows of white spots (Fig. 10B ); Epigyne (Fig. 10C-E ) base ovoid; scape highly elongated and centrally slightly wider, short dorsal narrow ridge in basal half (Fig. 10D, E ), covered with sparse long setae. Variation. Size variation: total length males 11.5-12.1 (n=2), females 13.1-17.8 (n=3). Little colour variation has been found within this species, although the abdomen may be a bit darker and less distinctly mottled than in the specimens illustrated here. No case of scape break-off was observed in female H. cucullus sp. nov. Life history and habitat preferences. Mature males of H. cucullus sp. nov. were found between April and August suggesting reproductive activity mainly in winter (or the dry season in northern latitudes). Mature females were found between March and November, also suggesting that this species is not reproductively active in summer (or the wet season). The species has generally been found in open forests where the spiders build large orb-webs between shrubs and trees. Like H. biapicata sp. nov. it has been found in a variety of climatic conditions, including semi-arid to arid, tropical and temperate regions. Distribution. Hortophora cucullus sp. nov. has been found throughout all mainland states of Australia, except in the south-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria. The species has not been found in Tasmania (Fig. 11 ). Figure 11. Distribution records of Hortophora cucullus sp. nov. in Australia.