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Dimple Mouse Spider Missulena gelasinos Marsh, Stevens & Framenau, 2023

Fauna Portal species: 12676
Family: Actinopodidae



Diagnosis

(after Marsh et al. 2023): The combination of a red chelicerae and brown carapace of males of M. gelasinos are not shared by other described species of Missulena. Males can be further differentiated from other species of Missulena that have a brown carapace by the presence of an indentation on the retrolateral surface of the chelicerae, and by a lack of transverse striations on the dorsal and retrolateral surface of the chelicerae (except M. harewoodi, which also lacks striations), striations weak in M. leniae and M. pinguipes. They further differ from M. durokoppin, M. faulderi, M. harewoodi, M. melissae, and M. terra by having coarse granulations on the carapace, which is smooth in these other species. Of the species in which males have red chelicerae and a brown or black pars thoracica males of M. gelasinos differ by having 12 spines in the rastellum, in which there are less than nine in M. insignis, M. manningensis, M.iugum, and M. langlandsi, and 16–20 in M. reflexa. They differ from M. occatoria and M. reflexa by the lack of transverse striations on the chelicerae and from M. iugum by the lack of a ridge on the cheliceral groove; from M. occatoria and M. insignis by the lack of spines or a rasp on patella II and from M. davidi by the shorter and broader pedipalp tibia.

Status

  • native

Linnean Holotype

1 ♂
|
Western Australian Museum
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T148354
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5 October 1998
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Australia
|
Western Australia
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Charles Gardner Reserve, North, sites Qu 93, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09
|
pitfall trap

Australia

  • Western Australia

Fauna Portal Records

The map shows all records that have been verified as part of the Fauna Portal project and may not represent the true distribution of a species. Specifically, for described species, check the link to the Atlas of Living Australia on this page for potential wider distributions. Fauna Portal Reference specimens and Linnean types are shown in red. If you identified a specimen that exceeds the distribution of an undescribed species as illustrated here, please contact the Fauna Portal team who can assist with the lodgement of the specimen in a public institution and display on the map.


Publications

Marsh JR, Stevens MI, Framenau VW (2023): Five new species of mouse spiders in the genus Missulena (Mygalomorphae: Actinopodidae) from national parks and conservation reserves in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Taxonomy. 36: 1 - 23DOIWEB


Volker Framenau, 30 November 2023