Draculoides claudiae Abrams and Harvey, n. sp.

(Figs. 1–8, 20–21)

Zoobank Code: http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 8B3FC678-8DB4-4E2C-8A08-E0C782FEC538

Draculoides SCH 060: Abrams et al. 2019 MPE 106532: 8, fig. 2. Material examined. Holotype juvenile. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Middle Robe, Robe Valley, ca. 29 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’30.81”S, 116°30’51.11”E, 06 June–08 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (Biota Environmental Sciences, DD 14MRR0009-20150808- T2-02) (WAM T138490) (DNA: COI, ITS2).

Other material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 20 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’19.34”S, 116°30’33.78”E, 06 June–08 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138487) (DNA: COI, 18S, ITS2); 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 20 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’19.34”S, 116°30’33.78”E, 06 June–08 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138488); 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 29 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’30.81”S, 116°30’51.11”E, 06 June–08 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138490); 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 20 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’26.03”S, 116°30’40.86”E, 06 Au-gust–02 October 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138549); 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 29 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’30.81”S, 116°30’51.11”E, 06 August–02 October 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138550); 1 juvenile, Robe Valley, ca. 29 km ESE. of Pannawonica, 21°41’30.81”S, 116°30’51.11”E, 06 August– 02 October 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander (WAM T138551) (DNA: COI, 18S, ITS 2, 28S).

Diagnosis. Adults of Draculoides claudiae are unknown, but specimens of D. claudiae can be diagnosed from all other Draculoides species that were sequenced at COI by the 50bp mini-barcode shown in Figure 3. Draculoides claudiae can be diagnosed from all other Draculoides species that were sequenced at ITS2 (Fig. 7) except for D. nosferatu, D. carmillae and D. mesozeirus, which are not distinguishable using the ITS2 mini-barcode.

Description (juvenile). Colour. Pale yellow brown. Cephalothorax. Propeltidium with 2+1 apical setae in a triangular formation on anterior process and 2 + 2 + 2 setae; eye spots absent. Mesopeltidia separated. Metapeltidium divided. Anterior sternum with 14 setae (including 2 sternapophysial setae); posterior sternum triangular with 6 setae.

Chelicera. Fixed finger with 2 large teeth plus 4 smaller teeth between these; membranous area between fixed and movable fingers with 3 large, lanceolate, terminally pilose setae (G1); G2 composed of 5 setae; G3 composed of 4 setae; internal face of chelicera with 3 short whip-like setae (G4); brush at base of fixed finger composed of 7 setae (G5A), each densely pilose in distal half and G5B composed of 9 setae; G6 with one seta; G7 composed of 4 setae. Movable finger serrula composed of 12 long lamellae, blunt guard tooth present subdistally; 1 accessory tooth present at two-thirds from base of serrula.

Pedipalp. Without apophyses; trochanter with sharply produced ventro-distal extension, ventral margin with ca. 8 stout setae, without mesal spur; tarsus and tibia without spines; tarsal spur present; claw 0.45 × length of tarsus.

Legs. Tarsus I with 6 tarsomeres; 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: 4.

Flagellum. 2.8 × longer than broad (Figs. 20 D–F, 21A–C) with pointed tip; seta dm1 situated dorso-medially, slightly closer to anterior margin, posterior to vm2; seta dm4 situated between dl1 and dl3 but closer to dl3; dl1 small, slightly anterior to vl1; dl3 close to posterior margin; vm2 situated anterior to vm1; vm5 situated approximately midway between vl2 and vl1; at least one pair of microsetae anterior to vl2 and 1 pair on the same level as vm2.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype juvenile (WAM T138490): Body length 3.61. Propeltidium 1.12/0.54. Chelicera 0.51. Flagellum 0.27/0.10. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.46, femur 0.38, patella 0.38, tibia 0.38, tarsus 0.19, claw 0.09, total excluding claw 1.81.

Remarks. Draculoides claudiae has only been collected from one of the ‘Middle Robe’ mesas, Western Australia (Fig. 1D). The molecular analysis recovers D. claudiae as the sister species to the clade D. carmillae + D. mesozeirus (Fig. 2). All of the taxa in this clade form a monophyletic clade that is sister to the species from the other Robe Valley mesas (Fig. 2).

Other names. WAM SCH060 (Abrams et al., 2019).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Claudia, a child vampire fictional character in Anne Rice’s book “Interview with the vampire.”