Brignolia ratnapura Platnick et al., 2011

Ranasinghe, U. G. S. L. & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2016, A review of Sri Lankan Brignolia including the description of four new species (Araneae: Oonopidae), Zootaxa 4144 (4), pp. 451-476 : 467-469

Brignolia ratnapura Platnick et al., 2011

( Figs.14 A–H; 15C–D)

Brignolia ratnapura Platnick et al., 2011: 53 –58 , figs. 269–294

Type material. National Natural History Museum, Leiden, Netherlands. Not examined.

Other material examined. 1♂ ( IFS_Oon_022 ): Sri Lanka, Central Province, Kandy District, Deltota, Loolcondera , 0 7°0 8’45” N 80°41’53”E, 1480m, 11 May 2010, leg. S. Batuwita, N. Athukorala . 1♂ and 4♀ ( IFS_Oon_051–055 ): Sri Lanka, North West Province, Kurunagala District, Ethagala FR , 0 7°28’17”N 80°22’30”E, 190m, 20 August 2010, leg. S. Batuwita . 1♂ and 3♀ ( IFS_Oon_267–270 ): same locality and data, 0 8 April 2015, S. P. Benjamin et al . 1♂ and 1♀ ( IFS_Oon_143–144 ): Sri Lanka, Uva Province, Badulla District, Bandarawela , 6°50’59.5”N 81°00’48.1”E, 1042m, 31 December 2011, S. P. Benjamin et al . 1♂ ( IFS_Oon_131 ): Sri Lanka, Badulla District, Uva Province, 189th mile post, between Koslanda and Beragala , 1370m, 6°44’48.4”N 80°57’56.3”E, 0 1 January 2012, S. P. Benjamin et al . 2♀ ( IFS_Oon_203–204 ): Sri Lanka, Uva Province, Badulla District, Namunukulla FR , along Passara / Ella road, 6°52’N 81°7’E, 1337 m, 22 January 2014, leg. S. P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala . 2♂ and 2♀ ( IFS_Oon_259–261, 266 ): same locality and data, 27 February 2015 ; 1♂ and 1♀ ( IFS_Oon_216–217 ): Sri Lanka, Badulla District, Rawana Ella , 990m, 6°51’52.4”N 81°03’01.3”E, 31 December 2011, leg. S. P. Benjamin et al . 2♂ and 1♀ ( IFS_Oon_256–258 ): Nuwara Eliya District, Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve , 6°54’40”N 80°47’36”E, 22 January 2015, leg. S. P. Benjamin et al . 1♂ ( IFS_Oon_042 ): Central Province, Kandy District, Randenigala , Victoria Randenigala Rantabe sanctuary, 0 7°0 9’14”N 80°54’12”E, 289m, 11 May 2010, leg. S. Batuwita, N. Athukorala.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males can be easily recognized by the rounded dorsal protrusion on the palpal bulb ( Fig. 15 C). However, the protrusion is less coiled as well as a longer and narrower than the dorsal protrusion of B. parumpunctata . Females can be recognized by the twisted posterior genitalic tube and the absence of an external epigastric protrusion ( Fig. 15 D). See also ( Platnick et al. 2011).

Description. Description based on all material listed above.

MALE: Body length 1.2–1.8. Coloration: carapace usually orange-brown, sternum and mouthparts pale orange to orange-brown; abdominal scuta orange-brown, abdominal inter scutal region white; legs pale orange; palps dark red-brown; Carapace: ovoid in dorsal view ( Fig. 14 A), smooth, sides striated, pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view ( Fig. 14 B), anteriorly slightly narrowed, with angular posterolateral corners, posterolateral edge without spikes and pits, lateral margin straight, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 14 D). Clypeus: rebordered, straight in front view ( Fig. 14 C). Eyes: six, well developed, ALE largest, oval, PME and PLE equal in size and oval, posterior eye row slightly procurved from frontal view. Labium: triangular shaped, fused to sternum, same as sternum sclerotization. Endite: distally not excavated, anteromedian part with stout projection, same as sternum sclerotization. Sternum: longer than wide, decorated with small rounded pits, radial furrows consisting of rows of small pits present between coxa I–II, II–III and III–IV ( Fig. 14 E). Abdomen: ovoid, dorsal scutum strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 14 G), covers full length of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, extend to pedicel region, scuto-pedicel region with deeply W-shaped transverse ridge, curved middle region lighter ( Fig. 14 H), book lung covers small, oval without elevation, pedicel tube small with dorsolateral triangular extensions, postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, long, semicircular, covering most part of the area and fused to epigastric scutum, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes ( Fig. 14 F). Spinnerets scutum present, short setae present. Legs: spineless. Sperm pore: small, oval, situated at the level of anterior spiracles. Genitalia: small, strongly sclerotized, right and left palps symmetrical. Cymbium completely fused to bulb, not extending distal tip of the bulb. Bulb rounded dorsal protrusion on the palpal bulb ( Fig. 15 C).

FEMALE: Body length 1.56. Coloration and somatic morphology same as male. Carapace highly elevated, ovoid, smooth, sides striated, lateral margin straight, posterior margin rounded. Genitalia: Postepigastric region without any modification. Posterior genitalic tube convoluted, thicker anteriorly than posteriorly originated from anterior spiracular groove, situated in between epigastric furrow and posterior spiracular groove ( Fig. 15 D).

Distribution. Sri Lanka. Previous records: Sinharaja FR, Ratnapura . New records: Kandy District: Deltota, Loolcondera (L 16), Nuwara Eliya District: Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve (L 53), Kurunagala District: Ethagala FR (L 10), Badulla District: Koslanda/ Beragala (L 52), Bandarawela (L 67), Namunukulla FR (L 51), Rawana Ella (L 50),Gampaha District: Kadolkelle FR (L 60).

Intraspecific variation. Body length of males ranges from 1.22–1.78. Coloration varies from orange-brown to pale orange, sternum with small rounded pits more visible in some specimens, two small black spots present on either side of the posterior part of the postepigastric scutum. Degree of sclerotization of palps varies from dark orange-brown to red-brown.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Brignolia ratnapura Platnick et al., 2011, male from Hakgala SNR. A. carapace, dorsal view; B. same, lateral view; C. same, anterior view; D. same, posterior view; E. sternum, ventral view; F. abdomen, ventral view; G. same lateral view; H. same, anterior view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 15. Brignolia parumpunctata (Simon, 1893), from Kadolkele FR. Male. A. left palp, retrolateral view; B. left palp, prolateral view; Brignolia ratnapura, from Hakgala SNR. Male. C. left palp, prolateral view; Female D. epigastric region. lap, lateral apodemes; pgt, posterior genitalic tube. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.