Taxonomy

Huntiglennia has one described Australian species, Huntiglennia williamsi. The genus is part of an Australasian clade (Maddison et al 2008) including Abracadabrella, Apricia, Clynotis, Holoplatys, Ocrisiona, Opisthoncus, Paraphilaeus, Paraplatoides, Pungalina, Tara, Trite and Zebraplatys (Maddison 2015).  Further information on the genus and described species can be found in Richardson and Żabka (2017).

Description

Huntiglennia williamsi is a small to medium-sized spider, ranging in body length from 2 to 4 mm.  The head, viewed from above, is pear-shaped, widest well behind the posterior lateral eyes. The cephalothorax is low and flat, with the anterior lateral eyes placed above, rather than in line with, the anterior median eyes. Chelicerae have a single (unident) retromarginal tooth and two promarginal teeth. The abdomen is elongate-ovate. The fourth pair of legs is longest, the first pair next longest.

The male’s palp has a heavy embolus arising from the distal edge of the tegulum, forming a partial clockwise circle. The tegulum is sac-like without a proximal lobe. A massive retro-lateral tibial apophysis has a rounded bulge on one side and a large, sharp, curved spike on the other.

The female has a single median atrium with sclerotised guides. The copulatory openings are on the postero-lateral edges of the atrium. The insemination ducts are large and very wide, filling most of the area between the atria and the epigastric fold. They join the median edges of the spermathecae anterior to the atria.

Biology

Huntiglennia is found in rainforest and woodland on the north coast and western slopes of New South Wales.

Distribution

Huntiglennia has been collected from only two localities in New South Wales.

References

Richardson, B.J. & Żabka, M. 2016. Salticidae. Arachnida: Araneomorphae. Canberra, Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, at https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/SALTICIDAE.

Żabka, M. & Gray, M. 2004. Salticidae (Arachnia: Araneae) from the Oriental, Australian and Pacific Regions, XVIII. Huntiglennia – a new genus from Australia. Annales Zoologici, Warszawa , 587-590.    

* 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.