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Issue: Vol. 5358 No. 1: 24 Oct. 2023
Type: Monograph
Published: 2023-10-24
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5358.1.1
Page range: 1-117
Abstract views: 1266
PDF downloaded: 23

Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae)

School of Agriculture and Environmental Science; University of Southern Queensland; West Street; Toowoomba; 4350; Queensland; Australia; Queensland Museum; PO Box 3300; South Brisbane; Queensland 4101; Australia
Queensland Museum; PO Box 3300; South Brisbane; Queensland 4101; Australia
Queensland; Australia; Queensland Museum; PO Box 3300; South Brisbane; Queensland 4101; Australia
Araneae Taxonomy systematics transfers Australia

Abstract

A group of Australian miturgines that are common in widespread areas of mostly dry landscapes are revised. Five new genera (Miturgopelma, Knotodo, Xistera, Miturgiella and Xeromiturga) and 48 new species are described. Three species presently included in three families are placed in these groups in the Miturgidae: Uliodon ferrugineus (L. Koch, 1873) is transferred from the Zoropsidae to Miturgopelma gen. nov.; likewise, Odo australiensis Hickman, 1944, from Central Australia, is transferred from an otherwise South American genus presently in the family Xenoctenidae to Miturgopelma gen. nov.; and Argoctenus gracilis Hickman, 1950 is transferred to Knotodo gen. nov. Miturgopelma gen. nov. is a very diverse genus found throughout much of drier Australia but not yet in Cape York, Queensland, although one species is taken from Tasmania. Besides Miturgopelma ferruginea (L. Koch, 1873) comb. nov. and Miturgopelma australiensis (Hickman, 1944) comb. nov., the new genus Miturgopelma includes 31 new species: M. alanyeni sp. nov., M. archeri sp. nov. M. baehrae sp. nov., M. bandalup sp. nov., M. biancahilleryae sp. nov., M. bogantungan sp. nov., M. brachychiton sp. nov., M. brevirostra sp. nov., M. bungabiddy sp. nov., M. buckaringa sp. nov., M. calperum sp. nov., M. caitlinae sp. nov., M. couperi sp. nov., M. culgoa sp. nov., M. echidna sp. nov., M. echinoides sp. nov., M. harveyi sp. nov., M. hebronae sp. nov., M. kinchega sp. nov., M. maningrida sp. nov., M. minderoo sp. nov., M. oakleigh sp. nov., M. paruwi sp. nov., M. rangerstaceyae sp. nov., M. rar sp. nov., M. rixi sp. nov., M. seida sp. nov., M. spinisternis sp. nov., M. watarrka sp. nov., M. woz sp. nov., and M. yarmina sp. nov. Knotodo gen. nov., a predominantly western and southern group, includes Knotodo gracilis (Hickman, 1950) comb. nov., and seven new species: K. coolgardie sp. nov., K. eneabba sp. nov., K. narelleae sp. nov., K. shoadi sp. nov., K. muckera sp. nov., K. nullarbor sp. nov., and K. toolinna sp. nov. Xistera gen. nov., another predominantly Western Australian and southern group, includes five new species: Xis. auriphila sp. nov., Xis. barlee sp. nov., Xis. coventryi sp. nov., Xis. jandateae sp. nov., and Xis. serpentine sp. nov. Xeromiturga gen. nov., another predominantly western and southern group, includes four new species: Xer. gumbardo sp. nov., Xer. mardathuna sp. nov., Xer. bidgemia sp. nov., and Xer. pilbara sp. nov. A widespread, monotypic eastern Australian genus, Miturgiella vulgaris gen. et sp. nov., is also described. Zoroides Berland, 1924, presently in Miturgidae, is considered a junior synonym of the phrurolithid Dorymetaecus Rainbow, 1920 syn. nov., thus making Dorymetaecus dalmasi (Berland 1924) comb. nov. Miturga whistleri Simon, 1909 and Miturga splendens Hickman, 1930 are both placed in Mituliodon tarantulinus syn. nov..

 

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