Draculoides minae Abrams and Harvey 2020, n. sp.

Draculoides minae Abrams and Harvey, n. sp.

(Figs. 1–8, 32–33)

Zoobank Code: http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 8688217D-9FA8-4ECD-9A75-98A6651B30EA

Draculoides SCH 083: Abrams et al. 2019 MPE 106532: 8, fig. 2.

Material examined. Holotype female. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Middle Robe, Robe Valley, ca. 18 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 22°23’18”S, 116°15’11”E, 13–16 October 2008, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (Biota Environmental Sciences, CWRC281 P4 T2–1) (WAM T138570) (DNA: 12S, COI, 18S, 28S, ITS2).

Diagnosis. Males are unknown. Females of Draculoides minae differ from all other known Draculoides in their distinctive spermathecae, which have roughly rectangular, non-plicate lobes. Female flagellum is unknown. Draculoides minae can be diagnosed from all other Draculoides species that were sequenced at COI, 12S and ITS2 by the 50bp mini-barcodes shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7.

Description (adult female). Colour. Yellow-brown; propeltidium and pedipalps somewhat darker.

Cephalothorax. Propeltidium with 2+1 apical setae in a triangular formation on anterior process and 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 setae; eye spots absent. Mesopeltidia separated. Metapeltidium divided. Anterior sternum with 15 setae (including 2 sternapophysial setae); posterior sternum triangular with 8 setae.

Chelicera. Fixed finger with 2 large teeth plus 6 smaller teeth between these; proximal and distal teeth without small lateral teeth; membranous area between fixed and movable fingers with 3 large, lanceolate, terminally pilose setae (G1); G2 and G3 composed of 3 setae; internal face of chelicera with 5 short whip-like setae (G4); brush at base of fixed finger composed of 5 setae (G5A), each densely pilose in distal half and G5B composed of 7 setae; G6 with one seta; G7 composed of 4 setae. Movable finger serrula composed of ca.15 long lamellae, blunt guard tooth present subdistally; 1 small accessory tooth present.

Pedipalp. Without apophyses; trochanter with sharply produced ventro-distal extension, ventral margin with ca. 9 stout setae, without mesal spur; tarsus and tibia without spines; tarsal spur present; claw 0.64 × length of tarsus.

Legs. Tarsus I with 6 segments; baso-dorsal margin of femur IV produced at about a 90° angle.

Abdomen. Chaetotaxy of tergite I: 2 macrosetae + 4 microsetae (microsetae diagonal), tergite II: 2 macrosetae + 6 microsetae (microsetae in column), tergites III–IX: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2.

Female genitalia. Two pairs of spermathecae with roughly rectangular, equal-sized lobes, each pair connected basally before connection with bursa (Fig. 33A); sparsely covered with small pores mainly in stalk; gonopod rectangular and slightly elongated.

Flagellum. Unknown, collected without flagellum.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype female (WAM T138570): Body length 4.88. Propeltidium 1.29/0.65. Chelicera 0.77. Flagellum missing. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.50, femur 0.58, patella 0.62, tibia 0.56, tarsus 0.21, claw 0.13, total excluding claw 2.46.

Remarks. Draculoides minae is only known from a single bore in the Middle Robe area (Fig. 1D).

Other names. WAM SCH083 (Abrams et al., 2019).

Etymology. This species is named for the character Mina Harker in Bram Stoker’s book “Dracula.” Mina was temporarily made a vampire and instrumental in compiling the information to discover Dracula’s plans.