Wolf Spider Artoria falcata Prado, Baptista & Framenau, 2024

(after Prado et al. 2024): Artoria falcata is similar to A. retorta in male and female genital morphology. Males of both species share a pedipalp with the tegular apophysis forming a long and sinuous stalk curved retrolaterally and with its acute apex projecting ventrally. However, A. falcata differs as the pedipalp’s tegular apophysis lacks a prong at its prolateral margin (present in A. retorta), its apex tapers gradually in retrolateral view (tapering abruptly in A. retorta), and its terminal apophysis is a thin stalk (vs broad gutter-like structure in A. retorta). Females of both species have long lateral lobes with guide pockets anteriorly, a sub-rectangular median septum with an elevated triangular area excavated by a longitudinal notch, but A. falcata epigynes have shallower and less sclerotized guide pockets and the triangular elevated notched area of the median septum is restricted to the posterior half of the atrium (stretches the whole atrium length in A. retorta).

• native

• Western Australia