Merizocera krabi Li, 2020

Chang, Wan-Jin, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Twenty-eight new species of the spider genus Merizocera Fage, 1912 (Araneae, Psilodercidae) from South and Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 961, pp. 41-118 : 41

Merizocera krabi Li sp. nov. Figures 17 , 18 , 54

Merizocera sp. 185: Li and Li 2018 (molecular data).

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), Ban Chong Plee Village (8°5.12'N, 98°51.22'E, elevation 442 m), Muang District, Krabi, Thailand, 25 October 2014, P. Wongprom leg. Paratype: 1 female (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Diagnosis features of males are discussed under M. hponkanrazi sp. nov. Males can be distinguished by an elongated pyriform bulb with a triangular conductor adjacent to the base of the embolus (Fig. 17D ), embolus approx. half as long as the tegulum. The females can be distinguished from congeners by two pairs of twisted stalked spermathecae bearing globose distal ends (Fig. 18A ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.44; carapace 0.72 long, 0.63 wide; abdomen 0.72 long, 0.48 wide. Carapace circular, brown, with dark brown radiating marks (Fig. 18C ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus and labium dark brown. Sternum dark brown, with dark radiating lines. Abdomen slightly elongated, dark brown. Legs brown; measurements: I and IV missing, II 6.50 (1.84, 0.23, 2.00, 1.68, 0.75), III 4.83 (1.39, 0.23, 1.47, 1.19, 0.55). Palp (Fig. 17A-D ): femur slender, four times longer than patella; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen; cymbium with distal protrusion, 1/3 femur length, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 0.88; bulb pale yellow, elongated pyriform-shaped with embolus and conductor arising distally; embolus bent with laminar base, laminar part 1/2 length of embolus, entire embolus 1/2 length of tegular; conductor triangular, adjacent to embolus, 1/5 length of embolus.

Female (paratype). General features and colouration similar to those of male (Fig. 18D, E ). Measurements: total length 1.70; carapace 0.67 long, 0.54 wide; abdomen 0.98 long, 0.82 wide. Leg measurements: I 5.44 (1.44, 0.19, 1.66, 1.38, 0.77), II missing, III 3.43 (0.90, 0.19, 1.00, 0.83, 0.51), IV 4.89 (1.28, 0.19, 1.48, 1.25, 0.69). Epigastric area (Fig. 18B ): dark brown, semi-circular. Endogyne (Fig. 18A ) with two pairs of twisted stalked spermathecae with globose distal ends, lateral pairs almost horizontal, median pairs upright.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Thailand; Fig. 54 ).

Figures

Figure 17. Merizocera krabi sp. nov., holotype male. A Bulb, dorsal view B bulb, ventral view C palp, prolateral view D palp, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CO = conductor, CP = cymbial protrusion, EM = embolus.

Figure 18. Merizocera krabi sp. nov., holotype male and paratype female. A Endogyne, dorsal view B female epigastric area, ventral view C male habitus, dorsal view D female habitus, dorsal view E female habitus, ventral view. Abbreviation: SP = spermatheca.

Figure 54. Distribution records of the new species of Merizocera from Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. 1 M. betong sp. nov. 2 M. mandai sp. nov. 3 M. krabi sp. nov. 4 M. phuket sp. nov. 5 M. ranong sp. nov. 6 M. tak sp. nov. 7 M. tanintharyi sp. nov. 8 M. yala sp. nov.