Merizocera kurunegala 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

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.961.53058
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B5627BFE-56A2-42B3-B3A5-96BAE07724F4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B7C22440-1A06-4347-9F4E-900002716789
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:B7C22440-1A06-4347-9F4E-900002716789
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Merizocera kurunegala Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merizocera kurunegala Li View in CoL sp. nov. Figures 19 View Figure 19 , 20 View Figure 20 , 52 View Figure 52

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), near Arankele Cave (7°38.42'N, 80°25.33'E, elevation 114 m), Kubukwewa Village, Hiripitiya, Kurunegala District, Northwestern Province, Sri Lanka, 11 October 2014, S. Kosala leg. Paratype: 1 female (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

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

Diagnosis.

Males resemble M. peraderiya sp. nov. and M. picturata but can be distinguished by a relatively shorter bulb (Fig. 19B View Figure 19 ) (1/2 length of that in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B View Figure 25 ) and M. picturata ), an evenly bent embolus in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B View Figure 19 ) and M. picturata (vs. an angularly bent embolus in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B View Figure 25 )), furcate conductor in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B View Figure 19 ) and M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B View Figure 25 ) (vs. conductor not furcate in M. picturata ), conductor arising medially in M. picturata (vs. conductor not arising medially in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B View Figure 19 ) and M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B View Figure 25 )). The females can be distinguished by having sessile wavy spermathecae in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 20A View Figure 20 ) and M. picturata (vs. a pair of S-shaped spermathecae in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 26A View Figure 26 )).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.33; carapace 0.67 long, 0.53 wide; abdomen 0.65 long, 0.49 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown marks laterally and dark brown median stripe on anterior half (Fig. 20C View Figure 20 ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus brownish, with dark brown marks medially. Labium and sternum dark brown. Abdomen ovoid, dark grey, with dark brown marks dorsally and ventrally. Legs brown; measurements: I 7.14 (1.94, 0.22, 2.20, 1.96, 0.82), II missing, III 3.66 (1.03, 0.19, 1.05, 0.95, 0.44), IV 5.87 (1.53, 0.19, 1.80, 1.62, 0.73). Palp (Fig. 19A-D View Figure 19 ): femur slender, thrice longer than patella, patella not swollen; tibia slightly swollen proximally, twice wider and half length of femur; cymbium with distal protrusion, half length of femur, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 0.64; bulb pale yellow; embolus dark, evenly bent, twice as long as bulb; conductor trifurcate with two pointed upwards, and third pointed downwards, stem of conductor thrice wider than that of embolus.

Female (paratype). General features and colouration similar to those of male (Fig. 20D, E View Figure 20 ). Measurements: total length 1.41; carapace 0.62 long, 0.53 wide; abdomen 0.76 long, 0.67 wide. Leg measurements: I 3.99 (1.00, 0.19, 1.20, 0.98, 0.62), II 3.11 (0.82, 0.19, 0.87, 0.75, 0.48), III missing, IV 3.84 (0.98, 0.18, 1.11, 0.99, 0.58). Epigastric area (Fig. 20B View Figure 20 ): dark brown nearly trapezoidal patch. Endogyne (Fig. 20A View Figure 20 ) with a pair of wavy spermathecae with globose distal ends.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Sri Lanka; Fig. 52 View Figure 52 ).