Gippsicola raleighi Hogg 1900

Gippsicola raleighi Hogg, 1900

Figures 5, 11

Gippsicola raleighi Hogg, 1900: 88, Pl. XIII, fig. 5 (Immature holotype from Gippsiland, Gembrook [37°57'S; 145°32'28”E], Victoria, Australia, H. J. Raleigh leg., deposited in NHM 1907.2.14/30; 1907.45, examined).— Davies (1985: 109).— World Spider Catalog (2016).

Segestria raleighi — Simon (1908: 380).— Rainbow (1911: 135).— Roewer (1942: 310).— Bonnet (1958: 4004).

Additional material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Perth, Kings Park (31°57'S; 115°52'E), 1♂, 6.X.1977, S. J. Curry leg. (IBSP 168324, ex-WAM T 123049); Parmelia, near Kwinana (32°24'S; 115°83'S), 1 imm., 10.II.1989, A. E. De Jong leg. (WAM T 122980); Huntly Mine, 5km E of Banksiadale Dam (32°39'S; 116°05'E), 1♂, 14.VII–25.VIII.2005, A. Peck leg. (WAM T64269); South Australia: Bordertown [36°18'S; 140°46'E], 1♂, 12.V.1980, M. S. Harvey & P. J. Gullan leg. (WAM T 122927).

Diagnosis. Gippsicola raleighi differ from the other species by the presence of a male palp with a swollen tibia and a thickened embolus (Figs 5 C–D), and a whitish-pale abdomen, with an anterior dorsal dark cross-shaped spot followed by pairs of dorsal dark spots fused with lateral dark marks, forming dorso-lateral dark lines (Figs 5 A–B).

Description. Male (WAM T 122927). Carapace and chelicerae brownish orange, with cephalic region slightly darker (Fig. 5 A). Endites orange; labium dark orange. Sternum orange, with darker margins, and marbled with dark pigment (Fig. 5 B). Palps light orange (Figs 5 C–D). Legs orange, with pair I–II darker. Abdomen whitish, with dark spots ventrally (Fig. 5 A–B). Total length 6.4; carapace 3.0 long, 2.12 wide. Chelicerae projected, with frontal grooves and setae. Palps: bulb sub-rectangular; embolus short and slightly curved (Figs 5 C–D). Legs robust and covered with setae. Leg formula: I/II-III-IV. Leg measurements: I, femur 3.08, patella 1.04, tibia 3.08, metatarsus 2.92, tarsus 0.8, total 10.92; II, 3.0, 1.2, 3.08, 2.84, 0.8, 10.92; III, 2.48, 1.12, 2.4, 2.4, 0.72, 9.12; IV, 2.52, 1.12, 2.28, 2.0, 0.72, 8.64. Leg macrosetae: I femur d0-1-1-0-1-0-1/2-0, p0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0; patella p1-0-1, r0-1-0; tibia p0-1-0-1-0-0-2-0, vp1-0-1-0-1-0-0-1, v0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0, vr1-0-1-0-1-1-0-1, r0-1/0-0-1-0-1-0-0; metatarsus p0-1-0- 0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0-0-0, v0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-0-1-0-0-0-0; II femur d0-1-1-0-1-0-2-0, p0-0-0-0-1- 0-1-0; patella p1-0-1; tibia p0-1-0-2-0-1-1-1-0, vp0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1, v0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr1-0-0-1–1-0-1-0-1, r0- 2-0-1-0-1-0-0-0; metatarsus p0-1-0-0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0-0-0, v0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-0-1-0-0-0-0; IV femur d0-1-1-1-0-0-0-0, r0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0; tibia v1-1 -0-1-0-0-0, vr0-0-0-0-0-0-1, r0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0; metatarsus p0- 1-0-0-1-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-0-1-0-0-1, v0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0, vr metatarsal comb with 5 macrosetae, r0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0. Abdomen uniformly clothed with setae (Figs 5 A–B).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Males (n=3): total length 6.4–8.08; carapace 3.0–3.48 long, 2.12–2.4 wide; femur I 3.0–3.08.

Natural history. Gippsicola raleighi occur in trunks and under bark in Eucalyptus forests, commonly found in the southwest of Western Australia and Southeast of Victoria (Department of the Environment and Water Resources 2007).

Distribution. Southeast and southwest Australia (Fig. 11)