Menarik, Grall & Jäger, 2022

Grall, Elena & Jäger, Peter, 2022, Four new genera of Heteropodinae Thorell, 1873 from Malaysia, Brunei and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Sparassidae), Zootaxa 5169 (1), pp. 1-25 : 6-7

Menarik gen. nov.

Figs 17–46 , 86–89 , 98

Type species. Menarik kecil spec. nov.

Etymology. “ Menarik ” is the Malayan word for “attractive, fascinating, interesting” and refers to the specific tegular apophysis and retrolateral tibial apophysis of the male, the unique epigynal atrium of the female as well as to the enigmatic scars around the female epigyne. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. Males may be recognised by the following combination of characters ( Figs 17–22 ): 1. Massive TA extending distinctly beyond prolateral cymbial margin, 2. Massive RTA, proximally arising from palpal tibia and bulging distinctly retrolaterally and 3. Complete loss of conductor. Females are similar to those of Sinopoda and Borniella gen. nov. in having a fused internal duct system divided into an anterior and a posterior part with glandular appendages situated anteriorly but can be easily distinguished from both latter genera by the anteriorly situated atrium, the absence of epigynal pockets and lobal septum, and the semicircular first windings of the internal duct system ( Figs 23–37 ; both other genera without atrium, epigynal pockets and lobal septum present and copulatory openings separated, i.e. not situated together in an atrium, and first winding different).

Description. See description of type species.

Distribution. Borneo ( Malaysia: West Sarawak) ( Fig. 98 : blue squares).

Species included. Only the type species.

Figures

FIGURE 98. Distribution of the new genera and species in Malaysia, Brunei and Papua New Guinea.

FIGURES 17–22. Menarik kecil gen. & spec. nov., males from Sarawak (17–20 holotype; 21–22 male, SD 1370). 17–19 Left palp (17 prolateral, 18 ventral, 19 retrolateral); 20–22 Palpal tibia (20, 22 dorsal, 21 retrolateral). aRTA—apical part of RTA, bRTA—basal part of RTA, dB—dorsal branch of RTA, ddA—disto-dorsal apophysis, E—embolus, S—spermophor, ST—subtegulum, TA—tegular apophysis.

FIGURES 23–27. Menarik kecil gen. & spec. nov. female paratypes (23–26) and male paratype (27) from Sarawak. 23–24 Epigyne, ventral; 25 Vulva, dorsal; 26 Schematic course of internal duct system, ventral; 27 Trilobate membrane, distal metatarsus of right leg II, dorsal.At—atrium, EF—epigynal field, FB—“fusion bubbles”, FD—fertilization duct, FW—first winding of internal duct system, GA—glandular appendages, MA—muscle attachment point, Sc—scar, SP—spermatheca.

FIGURES 28–39. Menarik kecil gen. & spec. nov. female paratypes (28–37) and egg-sac (38–39) from Sarawak. 28–36 Epigyne, ventral (28–35 not dissected, 36 dissected); 37 Vulva, dorsal; 38–39 two views of the same egg-sac. Arrows indicating scars at the anterior epigyne. Note the different shapes of the epigynal atrium.

FIGURES 40–46. Menarik kecil gen. & spec. nov. holotype male (40, 42, 45) and female paratype (41, 43–44, 46) from Sarawak. 40–41 Eyes, dorsal; 42–44 Claws (42, 44 right leg I, retrolateral claw, retrolateral; 43 left palp, prolateral); 45–46 Left chelicera, ventral.

FIGURES 82–97. Heteropodinae gen. & spp. nov., habitus (dorsal and ventral, respectively). 82–85 Borniella parva gen. & spec. nov.; 86–89 Menarik kecil gen. & spec. nov.; 90–93 Micropoda davisae gen. & spec. nov.; 94–97 Tiomaniella ladam gen. & spec. nov. (82–83, 86–87, 90–91, 94–95 holotype male, 84–85, 88–89, 92–93, 96–97 female paratype).