Abaddon despoliator Derkarabetian & Baker & Hedin & Prieto & Giribet 2021, sp. nov.

Abaddon despoliator Derkarabetian, sp. nov.

(Fig. 6, 7 A, S 4)

ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 96821AF1-87FD-4522-91E7-D3D9AC314C4F

Type material: Holotype male, one female paratype, and one male paratype from Australia: Western Australia: Glenbourne Farm, south of Gracetown, 33.9139 S, 115.01587 E, elevation ~ 40 m, collected by Julianne M. Waldock and S. Hill on 21 October 2001, dry pitfall traps (deposited in MCZ and WAM; genetic voucher MCZ:IZ:134472). Two male paratypes from Australia: Western Australia: Crowea forest along Crowea Road, 34.5399 S, 116.041 E, elevation ~ 230 m, collected by Gonzalo Giribet, Stephanie W. Aktipis, and Michele K. Nishiguchi on 10 July 2004 (deposited in MCZ; genetic voucher MCZ: IZ:132893).

Diagnosis

As per genus.

Description

Male holotype (MCZ: IZ:134472_3) (average of all males in parentheses, n = 4). Scutum length 1.5 (1.6), width at widest point 1.2 (1.3), width at narrowest point 0.83 (0.85). Integument colour light brown and tan, with patterning of dark brown pigment (Fig. 6 A, S 4 A). Anterior margin of carapace with a large medial spine directed anteriorly, with four anteriorly directed spines on either side (three large and one small). Pedipalps smooth, except a single small spinebearing tubercle basally on the ventral surface of the femur, with little or no brown pigmentation (Fig. 6 E). Coxae IV with a pigmented area dorsally with dorsally directed tubercles (Fig. 6 A). Genital operculum of males with tubercles at the anterior margin. Legs tuberculate, tan in colour, with brown pigmentation particularly on the femurs. Leg I femur with a series of elongate spine-bearing tubercles on the dorsal and ventral surface (Fig. 6 C). Leg II length 4.6. Penis: glans without ventral or dorsal plates, with large lateral wing-like lamellae (Fig. 7 A); each side of the sensillar region with two inferior setae placed ventrolaterally and one superior seta dorsally; with very reduced dorsolateral plates; stylus arising directly from the sensillar region, elongate, cylindrical, and thin.

Female paratype (MCZ: IZ:134472_1). Scute length 1.7, width at widest point 1.45. width at narrowest point 0.95. Only one female is known. Compared to all males it is slightly larger with less pigmentation (Fig. 6 B, S 3 C). Pigmented scutal tubercles generally more ordered, and typically with more spines on the posterior segments. Pigmented area on coxae IV bearing a more obvious elongate tubercle directed dorsally. Tubercles at anterior margin of genital operculum smaller.

Distribution

Known only from south-western Western Australia.

Comments

Differences can be seen between the males from each locality, suggesting a potential for multiple species, as seen in other short-range endemics in the same region (e.g. Rix et al. 2015; Sato et al. 2018; Schwentner and Giribet 2018). Given the paucity of samples available we refrain from assessing this. However, we note some obvious morphological differences here: relative to males from Glenbourne Farm locality (MCZ: IZ:134472), males from the Crowea Road locality (MCZ: IZ:132893) are slightly larger, have heavier pigmentation on the body and legs, and have slightly longer legs (Fig. S4 A, D).

Etymology

The specific epithet is a Latin noun used in apposition meaning ‘despoiler’, and as with the genus name, is in reference to the fictional character ‘ Abaddon the Despoiler’ from the Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe.