Tissahamia ethagala ( Huber, 2011 )

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 25-26

Tissahamia ethagala ( Huber, 2011)

Figs 93–96, 103–106

Pholcus ethagala Huber 2011: 174 , figs 741–744, 775–776, 793–804 (♂ ♀, Sri Lanka).

Tissahamia ethagala — Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). Huber et al. 2018: fig. 10.

Diagnosis (amendments; see Huber 2011). Males are easily distinguished from Sri Lankan congeners by details of procursus: wider and shorter, without retrolateral membrane, with two separate dorsal processes instead of single bifid process (cf. Huber 2011: fig. 794). Females are easily distinguished from Sri Lankan congeners by V-shaped brown mark anteriorly on epigynum and by round pore plates (cf. Huber 2011: figs 775, 797).

Description (amendments; see Huber 2011). Males consistently with large dark mark on carapace ( Fig. 93), either undivided or posteriorly divided. Females polymorphic in color ( Figs 103–106): carapace either with distinctive pattern of radial lines ( Fig. 103; 31 newly examined females) or with large dark mark similar to males ( Fig. 104; 6 females); sternum color varies independently of carapace color: either light with posterior dark margin and some slightly darker smudges posteriorly ( Fig. 105; 23 females) or entirely dark ( Fig. 106; 14 females). Female carapace pattern variable within localities (both patterns seen in Ethagala, Dimbulagala, Gowindahela); female sternum coloration apparently consistent within localities (all 10 females from Ethagala and all 3 females from Dematagala with dark sternum; all 6 females from Kandalama and all 12 females from Dimbulagala with light sternum).

New records. SRI LANKA: 1♂ 9♀, ZFMK (Ar 20056) and 3♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL114 ), 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) . 3♂ 6♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 20057) and 2♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL118 ), Central Province, Kandalama Forest (7.859°N, 80.711°E), 220 m a.s.l., 10.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♂ 1♀, NMSL , 8♂ 11♀, ZFMK (Ar 20058–59) and 5♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL125 ), North Central Province, Dimbulagala (7.860°N, 81.118°E), 140 m a.s.l., 11.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20060) and 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL133 ), Uva Province, near Gowindahela (7.041°N, 81.538°E), 130–180 m a.s.l., 12.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♂ 2♀, ZFMK (Ar 20061) and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL138 ), Uva Province, near Okkampitiya (6.728°N, 81.336°E), 190 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♂, ZFMK (Ar 20062) , Central Province, Kandy, Dunumadallawa Forest (7.282°N, 80.643°E), 600–680 m a.s.l., 8.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 3♀, ZFMK (Ar 20063) and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL151 ), Sabaragamuwa Province, above Dematagala (6.451°N, 80.751°E), 160 m a.s.l., 16.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 20064) , Western Province, above Pelawatta-Tinniyawala road (6.404°N, 80.283°E), 150 m a.s.l., 18.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 1♂ 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Benj 40) , Uva Province, Badulla District, between Diyaluma Falls and Wellawaya (6.725°N, 81.029°E), 480 m a.s.l., hand collecting, 4.viii.2011 (S.P. Benjamin, S. Batuwita) .

Natural history. This species consistently had a domed web with the apex connected to the underside of a leaf. Webs were often shared by males and females; in that case, they were larger than usual (i.e. ~ 30 cm diameter) and contacted several leaves (e.g. at Dimbulagala, where most available leaves were rather small, about 6x 3 cm). Some webs were strongly curved, almost globular. Egg-sacs were consistently carried under the prosoma ( Fig. 94; similar to the Southeast Asian genus Cantikus Huber, 2018 , previously the Pholcus halabala species group; Huber et al. 2016b) rather than in front of the prosoma as usual in Pholcidae and in close relatives (cf. Figs 98, 100, 102).

Distribution. Widely distributed in Sri Lanka ( Fig. 224).