Missulena faulderi

Description. Adult male, based on holotype WAM T 97017. Medium-sized spider (total length 7.5). Colour: carapace (Figs 4 A – C) dark reddish-brown but distally lighter, margins dark brown; eye region (Fig. 5 D) dark brown, anterior median eyes on black tubercle; chelicerae (Figs 4 B, 5 B, E) proximally dark brown but distally lighter, fangs (Figs 5 A, C) dark brown; abdomen (Figs 4 A, D) dark grey with yellow longitudinal streaks and two proximomedial pale patches of two to three individual spots each, mottled with some more spots posteriorly which form oblique lines; sternum (Fig. 6 A) yellowish-brown, margins contoured greyish-brown, sigilla orange-brown; labium (Figs 6 B, D) and maxillae dark reddish-brown; legs (Figs 4 A, E, F) yellowish greybrown, tarsi and metatarsi ventrally yellow; spinnerets (Fig. 6 C) pale yellow, spigots white. Carapace: 3.5 long, 3.9 wide; caput and eye region (Fig. 4 C) elevated in lateral view, strongly arched and differentiated from lower carapace; fovea (Fig. 4 G) very deep, strongly procurved (Fig. 4 B); lower carapace rugose with bands of fine, random fissures centered around fovea (Fig. 4 B). Eyes: OQ 3.4 times wider than long, occupies 0.76 of cephalic width; MOQ 1.42 long; width of anterior eye group 2.3, width of posterior group 1.8, OQ length 0.6; AME on tubercle, 0.6 wide, 0.4 long; AME inter-distance 0.1; AME to ALE 0.35; PLE to ALE 0.4; PME to ALE 0.25; PLE to PME 0.35; eye region (Fig. 5 D) with reduced setation but some setae anterior to AME. Chelicerae: 2.1 long, 1.3 wide; distally broad, diagonal, slightly conical; edges smoothly rounded; with very strong transverse ridges distally over entire length (Figs 5 B, E), without setae in area of transverse ridges but with 10 setae along inner margin of chelicera; rastellum (Figs 5 A, C) strongly developed, very pronounced, consisting of sclerotised process with four strong conical spines and 20 − 22 disordered setae (Figs 5 A, E), 10 long setae extend forward from anterior margin of each chelicera and cover base of fang, setae largest on latero-ventral side; inner margin of cheliceral furrow with three rows of teeth (Figs 5 F, G); prolateral (inner) row with 13 teeth, distal teeth entirely fused and forming blade, all teeth fused at base; intermediate row with four proximal, spaced teeth; retrolateral (outer) row with two proximal, spaced teeth; without basomedial teeth. Maxillae: 1.6 long; 1.1 wide, almost square (Fig. 6 E), 50 pointed cuspules along entire anterior margin, distally pointed and extended onto prominent heel. Labium: 0.7 long, 0.65 wide; conical, 18 pointed cuspules anteriorly (Fig. 6 D); labiosternal suture developed as shallow groove; pair of sigilla near labiosternal suture (Fig. 6 A), developed as irregular, poorly-defined patches. Sternum: 2.2 long, 1.8 wide; oval, rebordered (Fig. 6 A); with prominent setae, arranged irregular but denser lateral to labium; three pairs of sigilla, anterior pair smallest but well defined, posterior pair roughly oval but not well defined, all sigilla slightly depressed. Abdomen: 3.7 long, 3.0 wide; roughly oval, without bumps or processes (Fig. 4 D); four spinnerets (Fig. 6 C), PLS 0.9 long, 0.4 wide; PMS 0.42 long, 0.2 wide. Pedipalp: length of trochanter 0.7, femur 2.3, patella 1.2, tibia 1.8, tarsus 0.5; entire palp aspinose, tarsus terminally blunt (Figs 7 B, C); bulb pyriform and more stout than globular (Figs 7 A, B, F, H), two strongly sclerotised sections connected by median haematodocha (Fig. 12 C); bulb strongly twisted proventrally (Figs 7 A, G); embolus very long, tapering and slightly twisted medially (Figs 12 A, B, C); embolus tip simple, triangular, without processes (Figs 7 D, 12 A, B, C). Legs: with less than 150 brown setae over all segments, ventral setae of tibiae and metatarsi generally much longer and thicker than dorsal setae and bent towards exterior, dorsal and lateral setae of tibiae and metatarsi shorter than diameter of respective segment, ventral setae as long or longer than respective leg segment; preening comb absent (Figs 4 A, E, F); metatarsi I and II ascopulate, tarsi I ascopulate but with 80 fine ventral setae distally, apical sections with tiny ventral scopula; tarsi II slightly scopulate ventrally across entire length but fine setae of scopula not very dense; tarsi and metatarsi III and IV scopulate ventrally across entire length. Leg spination: pedipalp aspinose; leg I: tibia rv 0, v 12, pv 0, d 0; metatarsus rv 3, v 17, pv 0, d 0; tarsus rv 3, v 4, pv 2, d 0; leg II: tibia rv 0, v 12, pv 0, d 0; metatarsus rv 4, v 8, pv 0, d 0; tarsus rv 4, v 4, pv 3, d 0; leg III: tibia rv 0, v 16, pv 8, d 0; metasarsus rv 12, v 0, pv 7, d 11; tarsus rv 3, v 3 (apical), pv 3, d 3 (apical); leg IV: tibia rv 13, v 0, pv 0, d 0; metatarus rv 10, v 0, pv 2, d 0; tarsus rv 12, v 7 (apical), pv 5, d 2 (apical); patellae I, II without rasps and spines, patellae III with 31 rasps in eight oblique rows dorsally, median rows shorter than lateral rows and with less spines (Fig. 4 E); patella four with three to four thick, short spines (Fig. 4 F) retrolaterally. Leg measurements: leg formula IV> I> II> III. Leg I: coxa 1.4, trochanter 0.8, femur 2.8, patella 1.4, tibia 2.0, metatarsus 1.8, tarsus 1.1, total = 11.3; tibia width 0.7, leg I index = 3.2. Leg II: coxa 1.3, trochanter 0.9, femur 2.6, patella 1.4, tibia 2.1, metatarsus 1.6, tarsus 1.0, total = 10.9; tibia width 0.8, leg II index = 3.1. Leg III: coxa 1.4, trochanter 0.7, femur 2.3, patella 1.3, tibia 1.4, metatarsus 2.1, tarsus 1.3, total = 10.5; tibia width 0.7, leg III index = 3.0. Leg IV: coxa 1.4, trochanter 0.8, femur 3.4, patella 1.3, tibia 2.2, metatarsus 2.3, tarsus 1.3, total = 12.7; tibia width 0.7, leg IV index = 3.6. Trichobothria: arranged in discontinuous rows; tibiae I – IV with two rows of 3 − 4 in dorsolateral position, first row prodorsal and second row retrodorsal, metatarsi with 4 mediodorsal, tarsi I + II with 3, III + IV with 4 mediodorsal. Tarsal claws: leg I: 5 − 6 / 2; leg II: 3 − 4 / 1; leg III: 1 − 2 / 1; leg IV: 1 − 2 / 0 − 1, teeth on claws III − IV very small and broad; claws slightly shorter than spines of tarsi. Variation in paratypes (N = 2): total length 6.3 – 7.8; carapace 3.4 – 3.7 long, 3.9 – 4.0 wide; number of labial cuspules 9 – 13, maxillary cuspules 28 – 38; labial groove may be inconspicuous; rastellum with 3 – 5 thick, conical spines.

Diagnosis. Males of M. faulderi sp. nov. differ from all other Missulena from Australia by the very long and slightly curved embolus of the male bulb. They differ from other Missulena, except the most similar species M. rutraspina, by the presence of a pronounced rastellum, which is developed as a distinct process with three to five large conical spines rather than a series of narrow spines on a process or low mound. Missulena faulderi sp. nov. males (carapace length <3.5) differ from the males of M. rutraspina (carapace length> 3.8) by the smaller size, the presence of an interior row of seven to eight fused teeth in the cheliceral furrow (teeth divided in M. rutraspina), the shape of the male bulb which has no depressions, and a medially curved embolus (bulb with spiral depression and embolus almost straight in M. rutraspina, see Faulder 1995). Missulena faulderi sp. nov. males do not have any red markings on the carapace and chelicerae (as do males of M. occatoria and M. langlandsi sp. nov.), do not have rasps on patellae I, II (similar to M. dipsaca, M. rutraspina & M. tussulina) and IV, and have lateral ridges on the chelicerae. Females of M. faulderi sp. nov. are unknown.

Distribution. Currently known only from the Jinayri exploration lease (BHP Billiton Iron Ore) in the Pilbara region northeast of Newman (Fig. 2 B). Phenology and habitat preferences. All males were collected in pitfall traps in February, the month of highest annual rainfall in the Pilbara region. The holotype was collected adjacent to a then dry creek bed near Weeli Wolli Creek.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Richard Faulder for his work on Missulena (Faulder 1995).

Type material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: holotype male, Jinayri, ca. 60 km NW of Newman, 22 ° 58 ’ 04 ” S, 119 ° 16 ’ 02 ” E, 1 February 2009, pitfall trap, J. Gollan, N. Sullivan, M. Semeniuk & M. Beatson (WAM T 97017 DNA). Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype, except 23 ° 02 ’ 27 ” S, 119 ° 16 ’ 47 ” E, 2 February 2009 (WAM T 96133); 1 male, as for holotype, except 23 ° 02 ’ 30 ” S, 119 º 16 ’ 40 ” E, 5 February 2009 (WAM T 96132).