Taxonomy

Barraina has one Australian species: Barraina anfracta. At least one undescribed species is known (Richardson unpubl.) The genus is part of a distinct group of Australian genera (Maddison et al 2008) related to the Old World genus Saitis (Zhang and Maddison 2015) closely related to Hypoblemum, Jotus, Maratus, Prostheclina, and Saratus. Further information on the genus and described species can be found in Richardson and Żabka (2017).

Description

Barraina spp. are small spiders, body length less than 3 mm. The head, viewed from above, is rectangular with rounded sides, widest behind the posterior lateral eyes. The carapace is high, peaking at the posterior median eyes. Chelicera have a single (unident) retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth. The abdomen is rounded. In males it is much shorter than the cephalothorax and has a distinct dorsal scute. The short legs differ little in size.

The male’s palp has a thin, short to medium-length embolus arising on the distal edge of the tegulum.  The tegulum has a well-developed proximal lobe. The palpal tibia has a retro-lateral tibial apophysis of medium length, heavily built and hooked at the tip.

The female has two small epigynal atria with very strongly-delineated guides. The copulatory openings are centrally-located within the atria. From these openings the insemination ducts lead posteriorly in gentle curves to join the anterior edges of round spermathecae. The relatively large spermathecae are wider than the atria and adjacent to the epigastric fold.

Biology

Barraina spp. are found from rainforest to woodland living on the ground in litter.

Distribution

Barraina anfracta is known from a range of localities in Queensland. Other undescribed species have recently been collected from southern New South Wales (Richardson, unpubl., Whyte, unpubl.)

References

Richardson, B.J. 2013. New unidentate jumping spider genera (Araneae: Salticidae) from Australia. Zootaxa 3716, 460–474.

Richardson, B.J. & Żabka, M. 2017. Salticidae. Arachnida: Araneomorphae. Canberra, Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, at https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/SALTICIDAE.

Zhang, J. and Maddison, W. (2015). Genera of euophryine jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae), with a combined molecular-morphological phylogeny. Zootaxa 3938, 1-147.

* The information sheet should be interpreted in the context of the associated diagrams and photographs. Diagrams explaining anatomical terms can be found in the ‘Salticidae’ pictures at the beginning of the list of genera.