Systematics of the new Australian wolf spider genus Tuberculosa (Araneae:Lycosidae)

Abstract

The new Australian wolf spider genus Tuberculosa is revised, with T. harveyi, sp. nov. from the Northern Territory as type species. The genus includes a further three species from northern Queensland: T. austini, sp. nov., T. hoggi (Framenau & Vink, 2001), comb. nov. and T. monteithi, sp. nov. The genus is defined by a unique sexual dimorphism: males carry modified tubercular setae on the ventral side of the third coxae, which are here compared to the knobbed setae that can be found on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata Ohlert, 1865 and Passiena torbjoerni Lehtinen, 2005 from two different lycosid subfamilies. Based on the structure of the male pedipalp, Tuberculosa belongs to the subfamily Lycosinae sensu Dondale (1986) with close affinities to Venatrix Roewer, 1960, because males of both genera have a tubercle on the outer edges of their fangs and the cymbium tip carries claw-like macrosetae. A cladistic analysis of all four Tuberculosa species, based on 12 morphological characters and with Venatrix konei (Berland, 1924) as outgroup, revealed a topology with T. austini and T. harveyi as sister-species in the most derived clade (V. konei (T. monteithi (T. hoggi (T. harveyi, T. austini))). The distribution of Tuberculosa in the tropical north of Australia supports an origin of the genus, as well as its putative sister-genus Venatrix, in the Palaearctic region, in contrast to all other Australian Lycosinae, which appear to be of Gondwanan origin.

Systematic revision ofHoggicosaRoewer, 1960, the Australian ‘bicolor’group of wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae)

“…its transverse orientation, with ventrally directed spur and a sinuous channel on its dorsal surface (Dondale, 1986). Knowledge of Australian Lycosinae is poor, although there have been several recent generic revisions, including Dingosa Roewer, 1955, Knoelle Framenau, 2006, Mainosa Framenau, 2006 and Tuberculosa Framenau & Yoo, 2006 and Venatrix Roewer, 1960 (Framenau & Vink, 2001; Framenau, 2006a, b; Framenau & Yoo, 2006; Framenau & Baehr, 2007). Molecular studies have suggested two distinct clades of Australian Lycosinae; one has an oriental origin ( Venatrix and Tuberculosa ) and the remaining genera represent a Gondwanan clade with the closest relative in the taxon sampled, Pavocosa gallopavo (Mello‐Leitão, 1941), from South America (see Murphy et al ., 2006; Gotch et al ., 2008).…”

Patterns in the composition of ground-dwelling spider communities in the Pilbara bioregion, Western Australia

“…Framenau 2005;Framenau 2007), and Lycosinae (e.g. Framenau and Vink 2001;Framenau and Yoo 2006;Framenau and Baehr 2007). The Lycosinae includes the largest of the Australian wolf spiders, often living in permanent burrows, which has allowed them to colonise the arid centre with enormous success (Framenau and Baehr 2007;Langlands and Framenau 2010).…”

Costacosa, a new genus of wolf spider (Araneae, Lycosidae) from coastal north-west Western Australia

“…Costacosa differs from Hogna by the shape of the male and female genitalia as Hogna have a very simple, triangular tegular apophysis in the male pedipalp and a simple, inverted T-shaped median septum of the female epigyne Fuhn and Niculescu-Burlacu 1971). Costacosa differs from Venatrix and Tuberculosa by the lack of an apical cymbial hook in males (Framenau and Vink 2001;Framenau and Yoo 2006).…”

“…Australian genera of the Gondwanan lineage that were recently revised include Dingosa Roewer, 1955 andHoggicosa Roewer, 1960, and the monotypic Knoelle , Mainosa Framenau, 2006and Tapetosa Framenau et al 2009 (Framenau 2006a, b;Framenau and Baehr 2007;Framenau et al 2009;Langlands and Framenau 2010). The South-East Asian lineage is currently represented by Venatrix Roewer, 1960and Tuberculosa Framenau and Yoo, 2006(Framenau 2006dFramenau and Vink 2001;Framenau and Yoo 2006). Other largely Northern Hemisphere lycosine genera currently reported from Australia, such as Alopecosa Simon, 1885, Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904, Lycosa Latreille, 1804 and Trochosa C. L. Koch, 1847, represent historical taxonomic artefacts as early European arachnologists generally placed Australian species in taxa they were familiar with.…”