Mallinella tricuspida, Dankittipakul & Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012

Dankittipakul, Pakawin, Jocqué, Rudy & Singtripop, Tippawan, 2012, Systematics and biogeography of the spider genus Mallinella Strand, 1906, with descriptions of new species and new genera from Southeast Asia (Araneae, Zodariidae) 3369, Zootaxa 3369 (1), pp. 1-327 : 187

The tricuspida -group

The tricuspida -group is united by a single homoplasy based on the shape of the relatively broad embolus (Ch. 72, state 0). The presence of a strongly pronounced triangular retrolateral margin of the male palpal tibia perpendicular to an elongated RTA is shared among members of the tricuspida -group and its sister-group (Ch. 52, state 1).

The tricuspida -group comprises many species which are widely distributed in Sundaland. Members of this species-group can be easily recognized by the following characters: the uniform pattern on the dorsum of the opisthosoma is represented by two pairs of pale round spots or a pair of anterior reniform patches (derived from first and second pairs fused with each other), followed by three pairs of oblong spots (third to fifth pairs, the last ones usually medially connected).

Males can be identified by the rostrated TA. Females are recognized by the epigynal plate lacking an anterior median incision, and by the simple spermathecae divided into an anterior part situated above the posterior part.

Species account. Eleven species: Mallinella tricuspida sp. nov., M. denticulata sp. nov., M. birostrata sp. nov., M. amblyrhyncha sp. nov., M. acroscopica sp. nov., M. angustissima sp. nov., M. robusta sp. nov., M. rolini sp. nov., M. tumidiformis Ono & Hashim, 2008 , M. microleuca sp. nov. and M. scharffi sp. nov.

Distribution. Southeast Asia.