Revision of the wolf spider genus Diahogna Roewer, 1960 (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Abstract

The Australian/Pacific wolf spider genus Diahogna Roewer, 1960 is revised with D. martensii (Karsch, 1878) as type species. In addition to D. martensii, of which the male is illustrated for the first time, the genus includes a further three species, D. exculta (L. Koch 1876), n. comb., D. hildegardae n. sp., and D. pisauroides n. sp. The presence of a basoembolic apophysis on the male pedipalp places Diahogna in an unnamed Australasian/Pacific subfamily of wolf spiders that also includes Anoteropsis L. Koch, 1878, Artoria Thorell, 1877, Notocosa Vink, 2003, and Tetralycosa Roewer, 1960. Diahogna differs from these mainly in the presence of a distinct apical extension of the tegulum on the male pedipalp. Somatic characters of Diahogna that are peculiar within the Lycosidae include eye arrangement, carapace shape, and body coloration which superficially resemble that of fishing spiders (Pisauridae). Lycosa neptunus (Rainbow, 1896) and Lycosa spinipes (Rainbow, 1896), both only known from the holotypes collected near Sydney, Australia, have been previously associated with D. martensii and D. exculta. As these types are immature specimens in faded condition, accurate species identification is impossible and both species are considered nomina dubia. All species of Diahogna are known from wet habitats, such as the margins of rivers, creeks, dams, marshes and swamps.