Tissahamia maturata ( Huber, 2011 )

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 28-30

Tissahamia maturata ( Huber, 2011)

Figs 99–100 , 112–113 , 118 , 122–123

Pholcus maturata Huber, 2011: 177 , figs 745–748, 777–778, 805–808 (♂ ♀, Sri Lanka).

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

Diagnosis (amendments; see Huber 2011). Males are easily distinguished from T. karuna by shape of main bulbal process (‘appendix’) ( Fig. 118 ; strong distal spines; large prolateral process) and by details of procursus ( Figs 112– 113 ; longer but with smaller distal hinged sclerite; with sclerotized prolateral process). Females differ from T. kottawagamaensis by trapezoidal rather than triangular epigynal plate and by shorter internal genitalia ( Figs 122– 123 ); females are difficult to separate from T. karuna (more heavily sclerotized epigynal plate; anterior epigynal margin medially straight; slightly shorter internal genitalia.

Description (amendments; see Huber 2011). Most males with large, posteriorly divided, dark mark on carapace and with dark clypeus and sternum; one male with ‘female pattern’: carapace light with small U-shaped dark mark and clypeus and sternum whitish. Males from Namunukula and Mausagalla with tip of appendix slightly different (pointed processes shorter and more uniform in length). Tibia 1 in 13 newly examined males: 7.2–9.4 (mean 8.0); in 9 females: 6.0–7.0 (mean 6.4).

New records. SRI LANKA: 1♂ 1♀, NMSL , 11♂ 12♀ 1 juv., ZFMK (Ar 20069–70) and 1♂ 3♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL142 ), Central Province, Hakgala Forest (6.930°N, 80.814°E), 1790 m a.s.l., 14.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) . 2♂ 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 20071) , Uva Province, Badulla District, along Passara-Ella road (B113), Namunukula Peak (6.867°N, 81.117°E), ~ 2000 m a.s.l., beating, 23.i.2014 (S.P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala) . 1♂ in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Benj 49) , Uva Province, Badulla District, Passara-Ella road (B113), Mausagalla [=Maussagolla] (6.909°N, 81.132°E), 22.i.2014 (S.P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala) .

Natural history. This species was found under large live leaves along a brook in the forest. The webs were very indistinct, in contrast to those of T. ethagala .

Distribution. Known from several high elevation localities in central Sri Lanka ( Fig. 225 ). The single female from Avissawella (ZFMK, Ar 5088) assigned to T. maturata in Huber (2011) is here considered to represent T. karuna . The identity of the single female from Eastern Sinharaja assigned to T. maturata in Huber (2011) is dubious.

Figures

FIGURES 93–102. Tissahamia, live specimens. 93–96. T. ethagala (Huber, 2011), male from Ethagala, female with egg-sac from Kandalama, and females from Dematagala. 97–98. T. karuna sp. n., male and female with egg-sac from Labugama. 99– 100. T. maturata (Huber, 2011), male with mite and female with egg-sac from Hakgala. 101–102. T. kottawagamaensis (Yao & Li, 2016), male from Kottawa, female from Viharekele.

FIGURES 110–115. Left procursi in prolateral (upper row) and retrolateral views, all images at same scale. 110–111. Tissahamia karuna sp. n., from Labugama (ZFMK Ar 20066); asterisk marks area where males from Mitirigala have a small conical process. 112–113. T. maturata (Huber, 2011), from Hakgala (ZFMK Ar 20069); arrow points at distinctive prolateral process. 114–115. T. kottawagamaensis (Yao & Li, 2016), from Kottawa (ZFMK Ar 20072). Abbreviations: bp, bifid process; hs, hinged sclerite; m, membrane; po, pocket; r, ridge; ta, tarsus. Scale line: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 116–119. 116–117. Tissahamia karuna sp. n., from Labugama (ZFMK Ar 20066), male chelicerae, frontal view; and processes of left genital bulb, prolateral view. 118–119. T. maturata (Huber, 2011) from Hakgala (ZFMK Ar 20069) and T. kottawagamaensis (Yao & Li, 2016) from Kottawa (ZFMK Ar 20072), processes of left genital bulbs in prolateral views (all genital bulbs at same scale). Abbreviations: a, ‘appendix’ (main bulbal process); e, embolus. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 120–125. Epigyna in ventral views (upper row) and cleared female genitalia in dorsal views. 120–121. Tissahamia karuna sp. n., from Labugama (ZFMK Ar 20067); arrow points at internal arc (‘valve’). 122–123. T. maturata (Huber, 2011), from Hakgala (ZFMK Ar 20070). 124–125. T. kottawagamaensis (Yao & Li, 2016), from Kottawa (ZFMK Ar 20073). Abbreviation: pp, pore plate. At various scales.

FIGURES 224–225. Known distribution of Tissahamia in Sri Lanka; “?”, female with uncertain identity from Eastern Sinharaja.