Australian Museum Journal A new subfamily of spiders with grate-shaped tapeta from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Borralinae)
- Shortform:
- Gray and Smith, 2008, Rec. Aust. Mus. 60(1): 13–44
- Author(s):
- Gray, Michael R.; Smith, Helen M.
- Year published:
- 2008
- Title:
- A new subfamily of spiders with grate-shaped tapeta from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Borralinae)
- Serial title:
- Records of the Australian Museum
- Volume:
- 60
- Issue:
- 1
- Start page:
- 13
- End page:
- 44
- DOI:
- 10.3853/j.0067-1975.60.2008.1493
- Language:
- English
- Date published:
- 25 June 2008
- Cover date:
- 25 June 2008
- ISSN:
- 0067-1975
- CODEN:
- RAUMAJ
- Publisher:
- The Australian Museum
- Place published:
- Sydney, Australia
- Subjects:
- ARACHNIDA; TAXONOMY
- Digitized:
- 25 June 2008
- Available online:
- 25 June 2008
- Reference number:
- 1493
- EndNote package:
- EndNote file
- Title page:
- Title page (37kb PDF)
- Complete work:
- Complete work (1899kb PDF)
Abstract
Five new genera of stiphidiid spiders are described from forest habitats in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They include Couranga n.gen. (C. kioloa n.sp., C. diehappy n.sp.), Jamberoo n.gen. (J. johnnoblei n.sp., J. boydensis n.sp., J. actensis n.sp. J. australis n.sp.) and Elleguna n.gen. (E. major n.sp., E. minor n.sp.) from eastern Australia; Karriella n.gen. (K. treenensis n.sp., K. walpolensis n.sp.) from southwestern Australia; Asmea n.gen. from Papua New Guinea (A. akrikensis n.sp., A. hayllari n.sp., A. capella n.sp., A. mullerensis n.sp.). A new subfamily, the Borralinae, characterized by the presence of grate-shaped tapeta in all posterior eyes, is proposed. It includes the 5 genera described here plus Therlinya (Gray & Smith, 2002), Borrala and Pillara (Gray & Smith, 2004). The relationships of these putative stiphidiid genera are briefly discussed and the Kababininae is provisionally referred from the Amphinectidae to the Stiphidiidae. Observations on epigynal mutilation as a post-mating sperm protection mechanism are presented. Differences in visible tapetal structure between borraline spiders and Stiphidion are figured and discussed.