Brignolia meemure, Ranasinghe, U. G. S. L. & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2016

Ranasinghe, U. G. S. L. & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2016, A review of Sri Lankan Brignolia including the description of four new species (Araneae: Oonopidae), Zootaxa 4144 (4), pp. 451-476 : 459-461

Brignolia meemure sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 A–H; 8A–D; 9A–D)

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( IFS_Oon_241 ): Sri Lanka, Central Province, Kandy District, Meemure , 7°25’51”N 80°50’44”E, 636m, 20 October 2014, leg. N. Athukorala et al., litter.

Paratypes: 1♂ and 1♀ ( IFS_Oon_242–243 ): from same locality and data as the holotype .

Etymology. Named for the type locality, used as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Males can be easily recognized by the small pointed dorsal projection on the blunt palpal tip ( Fig. 9 A). Females can be recognized by the triangular projection above the posterior spiracular groove as in B. cardamom Platnick et al., 2011 ( Figs. 9 C, D). B. cardamom is not known to occur in Sri Lanka.

Description. Description based on the types.

MALE: Body length 1.38. Coloration: carapace usually orange-brown, sternum and mouthparts orange-brown, abdominal scuta orange-brown, abdominal inter scutal region not visible, fully covered with dorsal and ventral scuta; legs pale orange; palps dark red-brown. Carapace: broadly heart-shaped in dorsal view ( Fig. 7 A), sides striated, pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view ( Fig. 7 B), anteriorly slightly narrowed, posterolateral edge without angular posterolateral corners, spikes and pits, lateral margin straight, enlarged setae present on carapace, chelicerae and clypeus, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 7 D). Clypeus: rebordered, straight in front view ( Fig. 7 C).

Eyes: six, well developed, ALE largest, oval, PME and PLE equal in size and oval. Labium: triangular shaped, fused to sternum, same as sternum sclerotization. Endite: distally not excavated, anteromedian part with stout projection, same as sternum sclerotization. Sternum: longer than wide, decorated with round pits, radial furrows consisting of rows of small pits present between coxa I–II, II–III and III–IV ( Fig. 7 E). Abdomen: ovoid ( Fig. 7 F), dorsal scutum strongly sclerotized, cover full length of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, extend to pedicel region ( Fig. 7 G), scuto-pedicel region with deeply W-shaped scutal ridge (scr in Fig. 8 A), thinner at middle but distinct, with small dorsolateral triangular extensions (pte in Fig. 8 A), book lung covers, large and elliptical, postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, long, semicircular, covering most part of the area and fused to epigastric scutum, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes. Spinnerets scutum present (sps in Fig. 8 B), short setae present. Legs: spineless. Sperm pore: small, situated at the level of anterior spiracles. Genitalia: distal portion of the bulb relatively large as cymbium, palpal bulb with blunt tip with small dorsally directed projection, middle of the bulb extends ventrally, base of the palpal bulb without triangular projection ( Figs. 9 A, B).

FEMALE: Body length: 1.40. Coloration and somatic morphology as in male. Pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view, rounded posterior margin ( Fig. 8 C). Genitalia: Postepigastric area with wide anteriorly directed triangular projection originating above posterior spiracular groove, posterior tube not visible ( Figs. 9 C, D).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (L 29).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Brignolia meemure sp. nov., Male. A. carapace, dorsal view; B. same, lateral view; C. same, anterior view; D. same, posterior view; E. sternum, ventral view; F. abdomen, dorsal view; G. same ventral view; H. same, lateral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 8. Brignolia meemure sp. nov.. Male. A. abdomen, anterior view; B. same, posterior view; Female. C. habitus, dorsal view; D. abdomen, ventral view. pte, pedicel triangular extension; scr, scuto-pedicel ridge; sps, spinneret scutum. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 9. Brignolia meemure sp. nov. Male. A, B. left palp, retrolateral view; Female. C. epigastric region, dorsal view; D. same, ventral view. lap, lateral apodemes; tpr, triangular epigynal projection. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.