Ballarra

Ballarra
Ballarra drosera Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991, male paratype from Australia, habitus ,dorsal view, from original description.
Suborder	Eupnoi
Superfamily	Phalangioidea
Family	Neopilionidae
Subfamily	Ballarrinae

Ballarra Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991 is a genus of the family Neopilionidae, type of the subfamily Ballarrinae. It contains 6 species from Australia.

Taxonomy

Ballarra Hunt & Cokendolpher 1991: 143; Crawford 1992: 13 [type species: Ballarra drosera Hunt & Cokendolpher 1991, by original designation].

Etymology

Aboriginal ballarra (spear barbs). Gender feminine.

Placement

Originally in Ballarrinae.

Original diagnosis

Dorsum lacks prominent heavily pigmented mesial stripe; pedipalp tarsus concave dorsad and subequal to or shorter than patella, plumes usually restricted to brush at setal tip; stylus usually sub-equal to or longer than glans, barbed process much shorter than glans.

Original description

Body usually small and soft, unarmed except for scattered small setae; eyemound rounded, unarmed, interocular groove usually shallow or only present posteriorly; dorsum often with mesial silvery patches which may coalesce into an irregular stripe; spiracle with either flattened spines or spines essentially round in cross-section, spines on anterior wall generally more strongly developed, spines virtually lacking in B. alpina; chelicerae in both sexes of similar size except for B. molaris where greatly enlarged in males; patella subequal to or longer than tarsus, tarsus

Included species

• Ballarra alpina Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:148
• Ballarra cantrelli Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:150
• Ballarra clancyi Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:152
• Ballarra drosera Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:144 [type by original designation]
• Ballarra longipalpus Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:157
• Ballarra molaris Hunt & Cokendolpher, 1991:155