Belisana gowindahela, Huber, 2019

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 8-9

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4550.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2F7D1EC4-D4ED-4FAE-B227-CF7B79EAE833

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4581586

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CA3B104C-FF92-FF93-FF3D-FBABFEB8E252

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Belisana gowindahela
status

sp. nov.

Belisana gowindahela View in CoL sp. n.

Figures 6–7 View FIGURES 1–9 , 31–33 View FIGURES 31–35 , 38–39 View FIGURES 36–41

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from most congeners by long retrolateral process (‘flap’) of procursus pointing in proximal-ventral direction and curved at tip ( Figs 32–33 View FIGURES 31–35 ); from very similar B. ratnapura Huber, 2005 by more slender procursus with different shape of prolateral distal sclerite (compare Figs 32–35 View FIGURES 31–35 ), by wider distance between distal male cheliceral apophyses (~80 µm versus 15 µm in B. ratnapura ; compare Fig. 31 View FIGURES 31–35 with fig. 604 in Huber 2005), and by epigynum without posterior extension and with pockets wider apart (~60 µm versus 10–15 µm in B. ratnapura ; compare Figs 38–41 View FIGURES 36–41 ).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality (noun in apposition).

Type material. SRI LANKA: ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 20006), Uva Province, near Gowindahela (7.041°N, 81.538°E), 130–180 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps .

Other material examined. SRI LANKA: 7♂ 7♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 20007), and 1♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL135 About ZFMK ), same data as holotype GoogleMaps . 3♂ 5♀ 4 juvs, ZFMK (Ar 20008), and 1♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL131 About ZFMK ), Uva Province, Inginiyagala (7.225°N, 81.535°E), 110 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♀, ZFMK ( Ar 20009), and 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL127 About ZFMK ), North Central Province, Dimbulagala (7.860°N, 81.118°E), 140 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 3♂ 5♀, ZFMK (Ar 20010), and 1♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL121 About ZFMK ), Central Province, Kandalama Forest (7.859°N, 80.711°E), 220 m a.s.l., 10.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 20011), and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL115 About ZFMK ), North Western Province, Kurunegala, at base of Ethagala ( Athugala ) Mtn (7.490°N, 80.369°E), 170 m a.s.l., 9.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂ 1♀, NMSL , 8♂ 11♀, ZFMK ( Ar 20012–13), and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL110 About ZFMK ), Central Province, Kandy, Dunumadallawa Forest (7.282°N, 80.643°E), 600–680 m a.s.l., 8.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps . 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 5397), Central Province, Kandy, Udawattakele Sanctuary [7.300°N, 80.642°E], 17.iii.1998 (S.P. Benjamin) GoogleMaps ; 2♀ 2 juvs, ZFMK ( Ar 5197), same data but 18.vii.2003 GoogleMaps . 9♂ 10♀, ZFMK (Ar 20014), and 2♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL152 About ZFMK ), Sabaragamuwa Province, above Dematagala (6.451°N, 80.751°E), 160 m a.s.l., 16.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) GoogleMaps .

Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.9, carapace width 0.6. Distance PME- PME 160 µm, diameter PME 60 µm, distance PME-ALE 15 µm; AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.40/0.38. Leg 1: 15.7 (3.9 + 0.3 + 4.0 + 6.0 + 1.5), tibia 2: 2.5, tibia 3: 1.5, tibia 4: 2.3; tibia 1 L/d: 67.

COLOR (in ethanol). Entire spider whitish to pale ochre-yellow, legs without dark rings.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 6 View FIGURES 1–9 ; ocular area not raised; carapace without median furrow; clypeus and sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 31 View FIGURES 31–35 , with pair of small apophyses proximally laterally, pair of short frontal apophyses distally, and pair of indistinct frontal apophyses proximally; distance between tips of distal apophyses 0.08.

PALPS. Proximal segments very similar to B. ratnapura (cf. Huber 2005: figs 602–603); coxa unmodified; trochanter with distinctive retrolateral apophysis; procursus as in Figs 32–33 View FIGURES 31–35 , with long retrolateral flap and distinctive prolateral distal sclerite; bulb apparently indistinguishable from B. ratnapura .

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 9%; prolateral trichobothrium apparently absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~25 pseudosegments, distally distinct.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in 32 other males: 3.2–4.3 (mean 3.7).

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 44 females: 2.8–3.4 (mean 3.1). Epigynum externally very simple, barely distinguishable from surrounding cuticle, with pair of pockets ~58–60 µm apart, not on posterior extension. Internal genitalia as in Figs 38–39 View FIGURES 36–41 , with pair of small pore plates far apart.

Natural history. This leaf-dwelling species was very abundant at some sites (e.g. Kandy). Its web was attached to the underside of a leaf and was highly regular, consisting of long parallel vertical lines connected by short horizontal lines (i.e. without the zig-zag lines present in the webs of many other Belisana species).

Distribution. Widely distributed in central and eastern Sri Lanka, apparently excluding high elevation areas ( Fig. 221 View FIGURES 220–221 ).

ZFMK

Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

NMSL

National Museum of Sri Lanka

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Belisana

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