Aprusia veddah Grismado and Deeleman, 2011

Grismado, Cristian J., Deeleman, Christa & Baehr, Barbara, 2011, Te Goblin Spider Genus Aprusia Simon, 1893 (Araneae: Oonopidae), American Museum Novitates 2011 (3706), pp. 1-24 : 16-18

Aprusia veddah Grismado and Deeleman , new species

Figures 36–42 , 45 , 66 , 67

TYPE MATERIAL: Female holotype and two female paratypes from Sri Lanka: Central Province: Kandy , ca. N 7°15′, E 80°43′, secondary forest, slightly damp litter, 600 m, 18 Aug. 1981, C.L. Deeleman and P . R. Deeleman (deposited in RMNH PBI _OON 15035) .

ETYMOLOGY: Te specific epithet refers to the Veddah people (also called Wanniyala- Aetto), indigenous inhabitants of Sri Lanka.

DIAGNOSIS: Females are very similar to those of A. kataragama in having the sternum longer than wide, by having only three spines on the prolateral side of the first femora, and by lacking the lateral bracket-shaped sclerotizations on the postepigastric scutum (figs. 42), but can be distinguished by having the abdominal dorsal scutum relatively long (fig. 36) and the anterior receptaculum and the lateral apodemes in the internal genitalia also relatively long and thin (fig. 45). Te procurved ridge of the postepigastric scutum is narrower than in A. kataragama and have a thicker margin (fig. 42). A. veddah also differs from A. kataragama in having the paired clawlike setae on tarsi III and IV (fig. 66).

DESCRIPTION: Female (PBI_OON 15035). Total length 1.83. CEPHALOTHORAX: Carapace pale orange, broadly oval in dorsal view (fig. 39), pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view (fig. 38), with rounded posterolateral corners, sides finely reticulate (fig. 41); lateral margin straight; nonmarginal pars cephalica setae present, scattered; nonmarginal pars thoracica setae absent; marginal setae absent. Clypeus curved downward in front view, vertical in lateral view. Eyes (figs. 39, 41): ALE largest, ALE circular, PME oval, PLE oval; posterior eye row procurved from front; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching, PLE-PME touching. Sternum longer than wide (fig. 40), pale orange, lateral margins with narrow extensions between coxae; setae sparse, light, originating from surface. Mouthparts: Chelicerae, endites, and labium pale orange. Chelicerae straight; promargin without teeth. Labium wide, with a procurved indentation; two subdistal normal setae. Female palp claws absent; spines absent. ABDOMEN: Book lung covers elliptical. Posterior spiracles connected by groove. Pedicel scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel. Dorsal scutum weakly sclerotized, pale orange, without color pattern, covering about ½ of abdomen, more than ½ to most of abdomen width, not fused to epigastric scutum, middle surface smooth, sides smooth, anterior half without projecting denticles (fig. 36). Epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent. Postepigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, pale orange, short, almost rectangular, only around epigastric furrow, not fused to epigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified (fig. 42). Colulus represented only by setae. LEGS: Patella plus tibia I near as long as carapace. Leg spination (only surfaces bearing spines listed, all spines longer than segment width): leg I: femur, pv0-0-1-1-1; rv0-0-1-1; tibia, v2-2-2-2-0; metatarsus, v2-2-0; leg II: femur, pv0-0-1-1; rv0-0-1-1; tibia, v2-2-2-2-0; metatarsus, v2-2-0; leg III: tibia, d2-2; v1ap; metatarsus, d2-2; v1ap. Tarsi I–IV superior claws tooth not examined in detail. Trichobothria not examined. GENITALIA (figs. 42, 45): Shape: posterior margin of epigastric fold with a procurved chitinized ridge, strongly rebordered, with lateral internal reinforced sclerotizations. Field in front snow white. Lateral to this ridge, this species lacks the bracket-shaped sclerotized lines of A. vestigator . Te internal genitalia consist of a short anterior element, proportionately thinner and longer than in A. kataragama , but smaller than of A. vestigator ; it also has a thin lumen but not the widened tip. In the only female examined there are only traces of posterior receptacle. Two short lateral apodemes posteriorly directed, slightly longer than in A. kataragama .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Only the type series .

Figures

FIG. 36–42. Aprusia veddah, new species, female holotype (PBI_OON 15035). 36–38, habitus (36, dorsal, 37, ventral, 38, lateral); 39–41, cephalothorax (39, dorsal, 40, ventral, 41, anterior); 42, epigastric area, ventral.

FIGS. 43–45. Aprusia spp. genitalia. 43–44, A. kataragama, new species, male and female paratypes (PBI_OON 15034); 45, A. veddah, new species female paratype (PBI_OON 15035). 43, male, left palp retrolateral; 44–45, vulvae, cleared, dorsal. Abbreviations: ar = anterior receptaculum, e = embolus, la = lateral apodeme, pr? = posterior receptaculum?

FIGS. 56–66. Morphology of the tarsi of Aprusia spp. 56–61, A. kerala, male, 62, A. kataragama, male; 63, A. kataragama, female; 64, A. vestigator, male; 65, A. vestigator, female; 66, A. veddah, female; 56 = tarsus I, 57 = II, 58, 65 = III, 59–63, 66 = IV. 61 = detail of the clawlike seta. Arrows = clawlike setae. Scale bars: 56–59, 62–66 = 0.05 mm; 60 = 20 µm; 61 = 10 µm.

FIG. 67. Geographic distribution of Aprusia spp. Sri Lanka: 1,