A FURTHER RECORD OF THE SPIDER MICROTENONYX SUBITANEUS (ARANEAE LINYPHIIDAE ERIGONINAE) IN AUSTRALIA

2004·0.56 MB·English

by  Karl E C Brennan

RecordsoftheWesternAustralianMuseum22:163-164(2004). Shortcommunication
A further record of the spiderMicroctenonyx suhitaneus
(Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) in Australia
KarlE.C. Brennan
DepartmentofEnvironmentalBiology,CurtinUniversityofTechnology,GPOBoxU1987,
Perth,WesternAustralia,6845,Australia
Linyphiidsaretinytomediumspiders(1 to8mm The latter are found usually in urban areas,
inbodylength)thatconstructsheetwebs.Members particularly shipping ports or areas where goods
of the subfamily Erigoninae are smallest (1 to 4 imported from abroad have been stored (e.g.,
mm). Theyconstruct tiny sheetwebs under stones, Harvey 1996). This specimen was collected from a
inmossordepressionsinthesoil(Main1976;Raven rehabilitated mine pit, surrounded by unmined
etal. 2002a). Despite comprising a large proportion jarrah {Eucalyptus marginata) forest, 45 km south-
the European fauna, linyphiids represent only a eastofPerth.Thatsaid,thespeciesappearsdifficult
small proportion of described Australian taxa. The to collect at this locality. Of more than 25,000
Australian fauna comprises 20 genera and 35 spiders identified from Jarrahdale Mine, Western
described species (Raven et al. 2002b). Five Australia,itistheonlyknownspecimen.
introduced species have been recorded; It is likely that other described linyphiids willbe
Diplocephalus cristatus (Blackwall), Eperigone found in Australia. Raven et al. (2002c) suggest
fradeorum (Berland), Erigone prominens Bosenberg Tenuiphantes cristatus (Menge), may be present
and Strand, Microctenonyx suhitaneus (O.P. althoughnotyetrecorded.
Cambridge), and Ostearius melanopygius (O.P.
Cambridge) (Austinetal. 1991; ITirst and Nicolson MATERIALEXAMINED
1995;Ravenetal. 2002c).
Here Microctenonyx suhitaneus, from the Australia: Western Australia; 1 male, Jarrahdale
Erigoninae, is recorded as an additional genus and Mine 32°16'S 116°06'E, vacuum sampled from
species present in Western Australia. This finding foliage, 8 year-old rehabilitated mine pit
supports the previous South Australian record by surrounded by jarrah forest, October 1997, K.E.C.
Hirst and Nicolson (1995). Although M. suhitaneus Brennan (Western Australian Museum specimen
is endemic to the holartic (Platnick 2003), it is numberT54593).
known from other regions including Africa and
New Zealand (Millidge 1988; Scharff 1990). This ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
widespread occurrence has led to many synonyms
being created; seven junior synonyms are known Thanks to Mark Harvey and Julianne Waldock
(seePlatnick2003). forconfirmingtheidentificationplusMarkHarvey,
Specimenidentificationwasbyamatchofthemale Jonathan Majer and Melinda Moir for constructive
palps to Figures 308 and 310 in MiUidge (1988). A criticismofthemanuscript.
dorsal view of the carapace, with prominent sulci
(pits)behindtheposteriorlateraleyes,alsomatched REFERENCES
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2003