Bioacoustics of Cryptachaea gigantipes

Redescription from recent material: Colour. Generally stronger in male than female; prosoma variable but base colour amber (male) to cream or white (female), often with darker markings (e.g. female KS 65015, Fig. 10); chelicerae and mouthparts amber (male) or cream (female) (Figs 6, 8); legs cream with brown or grey bands; abdomen with white ground colour variably marked dorsally and laterally with small spots of black or grey and sometimes reddish or yellow (Figs 2-4); ventrally often with black or grey median longitudinal stripe. Male . Cephalic region slightly raised, all eyes subequal, clypeus high (Fig. 6); stridulatory ridges sclerotised, in separate patches either side of pedicel; chelicerae with strong anteriorly projecting shelf (Fig. 6); two promarginal cheliceral teeth, distal one finely pointed, more basal one spread into a transverse flange with two or more low points; retromarginal teeth absent; sternum scutiform, about as long as wide and widest between coxae I and II (Fig. 9). Male pedipalp (Figs 7, 11-14) with elongate tibia, tibia with 2+2 trichobothria on retrolateral and retroventral sides (Tb in Figs 12-13); cymbium deeply incised dorsally and with prominent apical tarsal organ ( TO ), cymbial hood broad (Hd in Fig. 7); median apophysis ( MA ) strap-like but with prominent sclerotised process ( MS ), cradling embolus; embolus ( E ) sclerotised exteriorly with enlarged base and bird-like 'neck' , 'head' and 'beak' , through which sperm duct exits; membranous hidden part of embolus fused with membranous basal parts of MA forming a lobe ( L ) (Fig. 15) that fits into pouch (Po) in base of conductor ( C ) (Figs 12-13); conductor large, retrobasal surface visibly ridged; tegulum ovate, subtegulum barely visible in unexpanded pedipalp. Legs 1-4-2-3, femur and tibia I each distinctly longer than entire body length. Abdomen without tubercle, distinctly longer than wide; sclerotised from genital groove to pedicel with narrow strip surrounding pedicel insertion; two patches of stridulatory pegs on anterior surface aligned with stridulatory ridges of carapace. Female. Similar to male except as follows: cephalic area flatter, AME smaller (Fig. 8), posterior carapace smooth and without extra sclerotisation, without stridulatory ridges, chelicerae without shelves; basal cheliceral tooth normal but robust; sternum longer than wide, more elongate than male (Fig. 10). Female pedipalp with semipalmate claw. Legs shorter than male. Abdomen, more rounded than male but still longer than wide, without sclerotisation or stridulatory pegs. Epigynum (Figs 17-19) a slightly sclerotised plate with slightly raised anterior rim and bearing two heavily sclerotised projecting knobs (U-shaped in posterior view); copulatory ducts open at apex. Internal genitalia (Fig. 20) with uncoiled copulatory ducts leading to a pair of simple bean-shaped spermathecae, usually visible through cuticle. Measurements, in mm. Male and female AM KS113937 from Mount Colah, New South Wales; ranges from Australian and New Zealand specimens. Male. Total length, 6.10; carapace length, 2.50; width, 1.95; Limbs (femur + patella-tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): pedipalp, 1.36 + 0.94 + / + 0.58 = 2.88; leg I, 8.60 + 8.80 + 8.90 + 2.20 = 28.50; leg II, 4.90 + 4.70 + 4.80 + 1.50 = 15.90; leg III, 3.50 + 2.70 + 3.10 + 1.10 = 10.40; leg IV, 5.30 + 4.40 + 5.00 + 1.60 = 16.30. Size range: body length 4.7-7.0 (mean 5.27, n=17), carapace length 2.09-3.2 (mean 2.43, n=17). Female. Total length, 6.10; carapace length, 2.25; width, 1.75; Limbs (femur + patella-tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total): pedipalp, 0.84 + 0.58 + / + 0.76 = 2.18; leg I, 6.80 + 6.60 + 6.80 + 1.90 = 22.10; leg II, 3.80 + 3.80 + 3.70 + 1.30 = 12.60; leg III, 3.00 + 2.10 + 2.40 + 1.00 = 8.50; leg IV, 5.00 + 4.20 + 4.50 + 1.50 = 15.20. Size range: body length 4.5-7.9 (mean 6.0, n=37), carapace length 1.9-3.3 (mean 2.3, n=37).