Missulena manningensis

Description. MALE (based on holotype; WAMT 92071). Total length 8.95. Colour: pars cephalica and chelicerae orange (Fig. 11 C); a slim, black ring surrounding the PME (Fig. 11 H); pars thoracica brown with a light, purplish sheen (Fig. 11 C); abdomen greyish with a light, metallic blue sheen on the dorsal side (Fig. 11 D), ventrally more brownish with a faint hint of purple (Fig. 11 E); sternum orange, slightly fading into olive with 8 sigilla in different shades of orange (Fig. 11 G); labium and maxillae orange with a dark olive spot on the base of labium (Fig. 11 F); legs olive fading into light brown ventrally, dorsally brown (Fig. 11 A, B); spinnerets beige (Fig. 11 E). Carapace: 3.6 long, 4.61 wide and 1.96 high; clypeus 0.31; pars cephalica covers 2.25 of its length, is highly elevated and slightly granulated with very few setae (Fig. 12 D); pars thoracica also granulated with bands of faint, radial fissures and with two deeply expressed notches close to the abdomen (Fig. 11 C). Eyes: OQ 3.4 times wider than long; outer width of each eye pair AME 0.48, ALE 2.26, PME 1.44 and PLE 2.14; diameter of AME 0.19, ALE 0.19, PME 0.13, PLE 0.17; anterior eyes in a straight line; posterior eyes strongly recurved (Fig. 11 H). Chelicerae: 2.17 long and 1.41 wide on the base; edges rounded and recurved with the widest point being 1.51 close to the chelicerae base (Fig. 11 C); few setae along the inner margin and slightly more evenly spread setae along the anterior part of the chelicerae; rastellum present, slightly pronounced, consisting of a sclerotized process with 5 (left 8) strong, conical spines (Fig. 11 I); over 20 setae cover the anterior base of fang of each chelicera; inner margin of cheliceral furrow with 2 rows of teeth and a general cheliceral teeth area in between those 2 clear rows (Fig. 12 G); prolateral row with approx. 11 teeth; retrolateral row with 4 teeth; intermediate area with 5 small teeth. Maxillae: 2.09 long and 1.5 wide; at least 30 extremely weakly developed cuspules along anterior margin (Fig. 11 F). Labium: 0.79 long and 0.86 wide on the base; conical; at least 5 extremely weak developed cuspules anteriorly (Fig. 11 F); labiosternal junction visible (Fig. 11 G). Sternum: 2.62 long and 2.29 wide; ovoid (Fig. 11 G); setae of various length somewhat densely but irregular along the margin and a smaller amount of setae spread unevenly over the sternum; 4 pairs of sigilla, anterior pair very small and hardly visible, second pair also hardly visible, smallest of all pairs and divided into two circles, third pair significantly larger than second (roughly 4 times bigger) in the shape of an elongated oval, and posterior pair biggest (roughly 2 times the size of the third pair) and drop-shaped, all sigilla slightly depressed. Abdomen: 3.12 long and 2.74 wide; shape of a rounded trapezoid (but collapsed through preservation; Fig. 11 D); 4 spinnerets, PLS 0.43 long (part of it broken off), 0.35 wide; PMS 0.37 long, 0.19 wide (Fig. 11 E). Pedipalp: length of trochanter 1.64, femur 4.46, patella 1.82, tibia 3.75, tarsus 0.64; all segments with setae, tibia ventrally covered with comparably long and dense setae (Fig. 12 A-C); tibia rather thin and slightly recurved, 1.00 wide on the widest point from dorsal / ventral and prolateral / retrolateral view (Fig. 12 A-C); bulb roughly pyriform, two strongly sclerotized sections connected by a velar median structure (" haematodocha "); embolus rather short and bend with an intumescence in proximal region; tip of embolus triangular with a small lamella, best visible retrolateral (Fig. 12 I), and a tooth, best visible prolateral (Fig. 12 H). Legs: brown setae of various sizes on all sides of the legs and bent towards the exterior with the exception of the femur setae on ventral position which are mostly vertically; ventral preening comb on tarsi and metatarsi III and IV. Leg spination: leg I: tibia rl 0, v 17, pl 0, d 0; metatarsus rl 0, v 9, pl 0, d 0; tarsus rl 0, v 154 - 8 - 3, pl 0, d 0; leg II: tibia rl 1, v 12, pl 0, d 0; metatarsus rl 0, v 8, pl 0, d 0; tarsus rl 0, v 10, pl 2, d 0; leg III: tibia rl 3, v 13, pl 0, d 7; metatarsus rl 3, v 6, pl 3, d 9; tarsus rl 3, v 11, pl 4, d 5; leg IV: tibia rl 0, v 12, pl 0, d 0; metatarsus rl 0, v 12, pl 5, d 1; tarsus rl 8, v 13, pl 7, d 5; patella I with 8 spines spread out prolaterally and one spine ventrally close to tibia; patella II with one spine prolaterally and one ventrally both close to tibia; patella III with 26 spines spread out dorsally and prolaterally and one spine retrolaterally (Fig. 12 E); patella IV with approx. 14 spines on the dorsal side (Fig. 12 F) and approx. 15 spines on the prolateral side, all very small. Leg measurement: Leg I: femur 4.0, patella 1.37, tibia 2.97, metatarsus 2.69, tarsus 1.56, total 12.59. Leg II: femur 3.4, patella 1.12, tibia 2.5, metatarsus 2.38, tarsus 1.47, total 10.87. Leg III: femur 2.81, patella 1.05, tibia 1.94, metatarsus 2.26, tarsus 1.54, total 9.6. Leg IV: femur 3.28, patella 1.13, tibia 2.83, metatarsus 2.41, tarsus 1.59, total 11.24. Formula: 1> 4> 2> 3.

Figs 10, 11, 12

Diagnosis. Males share with M. davidi sp. nov., M. iugum sp. nov., M. langlandsi, M. occatoria and M. insignis, the closest morphological matches, the red colouration of the chelicerae and pars cephalica. They differ from M. langlandsi by a longer carapace (> 3.00 mm; M. langlandsi up to 2.8 mm) and the presence of strong, conical spines of the rastellum (simple in M. langlandsi). They differ from M. occataria and M. insignis by the lack of spines ventrally on patellae III and IV (at the most 1 thickened seta). Pars cephalica lower than in M. occataria (up to 1.96; M. occataria approx. 3.0) and carapace shorter (3.6 long, 4.61 wide; M. occataria approx. 5.0 long, 7.0 wide). More cuspules on the labium and maxillae than in M. insignis but less than in M. davidi sp. nov. (M. insignis: none; M. manningensis sp. nov.: 5 at labium, 30 at maxillae; M. davidi sp. nov.: 15 - 10 at labium, 35 - 100 at maxillae). Lacks a ridged cheliceral groove which is present in M. iugum sp. nov.

Distribution. Known only from the Mt Manning area approximately 47 km northwest of Boorabbin in the Goldfields region of Western Australia (Fig. 10). The habitat of the holotype comprises open tall eucalypt woodland with mixed shrubs.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality, Mt Manning, in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.