Psechrus tauricornis sp. nov.

Figs 75a–g, 81j, 82g,k, 89p, 92p

Psechrus torvus — Simon 1905b: 167 (material from Kandy, misidentified). Levi 1982: 122, figs 16–28, ad part, figs 23–28 misidentified (figs 25–26: illustration of ♀).

Type material. Holotype ♀ (SB 129), SRI LANKA: Central Province: Kandy, near waterworks, ca. N 07°17', E 80°38', ca. 600 m, forest, along vertical walls of stream; C.L. Deeleman & P.R. Deeleman leg. 11.VIII.1981; Deeleman Coll. in RMNH ; Paratypes: 1 ♀ (SB 849), 1 s.a. ♀ (SB 850), SRI LANKA: Central Province: Nawalapitiya, ca. N 07°02', E 80°32', 915 m, road-banks; W.R. Sherriffs leg. 1914–1918, collected between February and May; W.R. Sherriffs det. P. torvus 1919; Tilg. 20-11-1960; ZMUC 12814 .

Additional material examined (3 ♀♀, 1 s.a. ♀, 6 juvs). SRI LANKA (‘Ceylan’): Possibly Kandy; E. Simon leg. before 1892; Simon det. P. torvus; Simon-Coll. No. 499; 1♀ (SB 633), MNHN AR170/5; 1 ♀ (SB 634), MNHN AR170/4. SRI LANKA: Central Province: Kandy, near waterworks, ca. N 07°17', E 80°38', ca. 600 m, forest, along vertical walls of stream; C.L. Deeleman & P.R. Deeleman leg. 11.VIII.1981; 6 juvs (SB 851–856), Deeleman Coll. in RMNH. SRI LANKA: Central Province: Vakarawatte (near Kandy); Pagel leg. 1973; ‘Eingang’ (acquisition): 15.I.1974, 1 s.a. ♀ (SB 515), NHMW. SRI LANKA: Southern Province: Hiniduma, Kanneliya Forest Reserve (‘Kaneliya’), ca. N 06°17', E 80°20', ca. 150 m; R.R. Jackson leg. 09.I.1982, Zoo. Dept. Univ. Cant. NZ; |SL 25|; D.P. Wijesinghe det. P. torvus 1983; 1 ♀ (SB 261), NHM .

Additional doubtful material examined. SRI LANKA: Sabaragamuwa Province: Sinharaja Nature Reserve, near Pitadeniya, N 6°21'40.19'', E 80°29'03.61'', ca. 300 m, primary rainforest, slope at pathside; V. Hartmann leg. 16.I.2011; 1 juv. (SB 885), SMF .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the shape of the epigynal median septum of the female type specimens resembling a bull head in frontal view (Ancient Greek “tauros” means “bull, buffalo”; latin “cornu” means “horn”); adjective.

Diagnosis (see also diagnosis for torvus -group above). Females with branches of tegimentum (TM) distally pointed and resembling the horns of a bull (Figs 75a,e, 89p). Copulatory duct (CD) with small loops being more or less equal in size (Figs 75b,d, 92p).

Description. Male: unknown.

Female (Measurements of holotype first, those of other females as range in parentheses):

Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 7.8 (6.1–8.8), carapace width 5.1 (4.3–5.5), anterior width of carapace 3.5 (2.8–4.0), opisthosoma length 10.4 (9.1–10.3), opisthosoma width 6.2 (4.9–3.9). Eyes: AME 0.39 (0.32–0.40), ALE 0.42 (0.38–0.51), PME 0.43 (0.39–0.44), PLE 0.44 (0.39–0.45), AME–AME 0.24 (0.19–0.28), AME–ALE 0.08 (0.03–0.15), PME–PME 0.28 (0.25–0.28), PME–PLE 0.37 (0.33–0.43), AME–PME 0.62 (0.57–0.68), ALE–PLE 0.52 (0.46–0.53), clypeus height at AME 1.14 (1.03–1.53), clypeus height at ALE 0.98 (0.87–1.23).

Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.

Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1423. Palp: 9.6 (8.2–11.0) [3.2 (2.7–4.0), 1.4 (1.2–1.6), 2.0 (1.7–2.1), 3.0 (2.6–3.3)]; Legs: I 46.0 (41.3–56.1) [12.4 (11.0–14.9), 3.3 (2.6–3.8), 12.7 (11.2–15.4), 11.8 (11.1–15.5), 5.8 (5.4–6.5)], II 37.3 (33.3–43.3) [10.3 (9.2–12.2), 3.0 (2.4–3.4), 9.7 (8.8–10.8), 9.6 (8.6–11.6), 4.7 (4.3–5.3)], III 26.9 (23.2–28.7) [8.1 (6.8–8.7), 2.3 (1.9–2.5), 6.5 (5.5–6.6), 6.6 (5.9–7.4), 3.4 (3.1–3.5)], IV 38.5 (34.8–44.0) [10.8 (9.8–12.5), 2.7 (2.1–2.8), 9.7 (8.8–10.8), 10.0 (9.2–12.1), 5.3 (4.9–5.8)].

Palpal claw with 14 (13–15) teeth.

Spination. Palp: 121{141} (131,141,142), 110 (110), 1101 (1101), 1014 (1014); legs: femur I 556 (566,676,757), II 556 (546,657,855) III 545 (545,546), IV 554 (555,654,554); patella I–IV 000 (000); tibia I– II 3038 (3038,30310), III 2124 (2124,2134,3134), IV 3134 (3136); metatarsus I 3037 (3037,3038,3047), II 3037 (3037), III 3035 (3035), IV 3036 (3037,3035,3036).

Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description of torvus -group). Distal endings of the branches of TM pointing anterio-medially (Fig. 75a). Epigyne with many wrinkles and ridges surrounding MS and mostly without (distinct) epigynal field (EF). Copulatory ducts (CD) just a bit larger than receptacula. Spermathecal heads arising anterio-medial on receptacula (Fig. 75b).

Primordial copulatory organ. Pre-epigyne: Pre-septum (pre-MS) with one posterior transversal edge. Anterior margins of pre-MS visible as two small longitudinal edges (Fig. 75f) below anterior margins of pre-lateral lobes. Distance between the two endings of the former longer than half the length of pre-MS.

Pre-vulva: Pre-CD shorter than in P. torvus, narrow and anteriorly with narrow curve (Fig. 75g).

Colouration of female (see also description for torvus -group and Psechrus). Sternum brown to red-brown with yellowish-white median line running end-to-end (Fig. 82k). Median bands on carapace clearly serrated. Lateral bands very broad (2.5–3.5x diameter of PME) and clearly serrated. Light longitudinal line ventrally on opisthosoma continuous and (very) narrow. If measured centrally on opisthosoma, its width is 0.2–0.3 times the width of one half of the cribellum.

Variation in colouration pattern: Interestingly in this species a second morph colour pattern exists: The female from Southern Province (SB 261) and one female from ‘Ceylan’ (Simon-Collection, SB 633) belong to that morph. It is characterised by the absence of the light longitudinal line ventrally on opisthosoma (Fig. 81j) and by the unicoloured yellowish-brown sternum.

Variation of copulatory organs. Females: Distal tips of the branches of tegimentum (TM) may be directed further medially (Fig. 75e). Posterior section of MS may be shorter (Fig. 75e). Direction of SH may differ slightly (Fig. 75d).

Distribution. Sri Lanka (Fig. 94).