A revision of the ground spider genus Zelanda Özdikmen, 2009 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), with a description of a new genus from Australasia

Abstract

Abstract Spiders of genus Zelanda Özdikmen, 2009 are represented by six species from New Zealand: Z. erebus (L. Koch, 1873), Z. elongata (Forster, 1979), Z. kaituna (Forster, 1979), Z. obtusa (Forster, 1979), Z. miranda (Forster, 1979), and Z. titirangia (Ovtsharenko, Fedoryak & Zakharov, 2006). These species are revised, redescribed, and illustrated. The new genus Avstroneulanda gen. n. is described. Both genera appear to represent the sister groups of the taxa that are characterized by the strongly procurved posterior eye row, the large and flattened posterior median eyes of rhomboid or irregular shape, the antero-lateral spinnerets with long pyriform gland spigots and a hood (which is unique for gnaphosoid spiders), and deeply notched trochanters. The genus Avstroneulanda gen. n. is diverse and common in Australia, Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea and represented by 13 new species belonging to two groups: the grayi group with five species: A. grayi gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. robertsi gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. julianneae gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. johnmurphyi gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), and A. joyae gen. n. et sp. n. (♂), and the harveyi group with eight species: A. harveyi gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. raveni gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. mariya gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), A. serratta gen. n. et sp. n. (♂), A. yarraman gen. n. et sp. n. (♀), A. lawless gen. n. et sp. n. (♀), A. hostosi gen. n. et sp. n. (♂♀), and A. kokoda gen. n. et sp. n. (♂). The species A. hostosi gen. n. et sp. n. and A. kokoda gen. n. et sp. n. are described from Papua New Guinea, while the remainder are from Australia and Tasmania.