A revision of the spider group Astieae (Araneae: Salticidae) in the Australian region

The group Astieae is relimited to include six, mainly Australian, genera: Arasia Simon from New South Wales and Queensland (comprising the species A. mollicoma (Koch) and A. aurea (Koch)); Astia Koch from New South Wales and Queensland (comprising A. colemani n. sp. and A. hariola Koch); Helpis Simon from New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and New Zealand (comprising H. minitabunda (Koch) and H. occidentalis Simon) and the new genera Jacksonoides n. gen. from Queensland (containing J. kochi (Simon) and six species new to science: J. distinctus , J. eileenae, J. nubilis, J. queenslandicus, J. simplexipalpis , and J. subtilis ); Sondra n. gen. from Queensland and Western Australia (comprising 10 species, 9 new to science) divided into four species groups — the nepenthicola group: S. nepenthicola , 5. bulburin , S. excepta , and S. variabilis ; the bifurcata group: S. bifurcata and S. convoluta ; the littoralis group: S. littoralis, S. finlayensis , and S. raveni ; the damocles group: S. damocles and S. tristicula (Simon); and Tauala n. gen. from Queensland comprising six species new to science, divided into three species groups — the lepidus group: T. lepidus, T. splendidus, T. alveolatus , and T. daviesae ; the minutus group: T. minutus ; and the australiensis group T. australiensis ). Of the Old World genera previously included in Astieae: Adoxotoma Strand, from Western Australia (containing two species, A. nigroolivacea Simon and A. chinopogon Simon) is of uncertain affinity and cannot be assigned to an existing group whereas Charippus Thorell from Burma (comprising one species, C. errans Thorell) and Lagnus Koch from Fiji (containing one species, L. longimanus Koch) are assigned to the subfamily Euophryinae; Aruana Strand, from Papua New Guinea (comprising two species, A. silvicola Strand and A. vanstraeleni (Roewer) n. comb.) is provisionally transferred into the Diolenieae. The systematic position of New World genera hitherto listed in Astieae is discussed. One genus Lyssorthrus Roewer, is newly synonymised with Aruana Strand. The species Helpis respersa Koch, is newly synonymised with H. minitabunda ; two species Astia nodosa Koch and Helpis longichelis Strand are of uncertain affinity and are treated as species incertae sedis ; 22 new species are described and four new combinations proposed. All taxa are described and diagnosed and the species illustrated. Keys are given for Astieae and the larger genera Jacksonoides, Sondra, and Tauala .