Wanniyala upekkha, Huber, 2019

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 39-42

Wanniyala upekkha sp. n.

Figures 135–137 , 150–151 , 172–180 , 215

Wanniyala SL55: Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). Huber et al. 2018: fig. 7.

Diagnosis. Males are distinguished from congeners by details of palp (retrolateral sclerite of procursus with large and complex dorsal process; distinctive processes of palpal trochanter, and distally strongly curved bulbal apophysis; Figs 174–177 ) and by modification of clypeus (pair of small pointed processes, no median process; Figs 172–173 ; similar only in W. agrabopath ). Females are easily distinguished from known congeners by rounded median process of epigynum ( Figs 178–179 ); also by small triangular pore plates in very lateral position ( Figs 180 , 215 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Pāli word upekkhā , one of the four Buddhist virtues or brahmavihāras (even-mindedness and serenity, treating everyone impartially); noun in apposition.

Type material. SRI LANKA: ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 20085), Sabaragamuwa Province, above Dematagala (6.451°N, 80.751°E), 160 m a.s.l., 16.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) .

Other material examined. SRI LANKA: 2♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 20086), and 3♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL150 ), same data as holotype . 2♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 20087), and 2♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL140 ), Uva Province, outside of cave near Ella (6.863°N, 81.050°E), 1030 m a.s.l., 13.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) .

Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.4, carapace width 0.70. Distance PME- PME 110 µm, diameter PME 80 µm, distance PME-ALE 30 µm; AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.52/0.40. Leg 1: 12.6 (3.0 + 0.3 + 3.2 + 4.6 + 1.5), tibia 2: 1.9, tibia 3: 1.4, tibia 4: 2.0; tibia 1 L/d: 58.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre yellow with median and lateral dark bands; ocular area posteriorly dark; clypeus with pair of dark bands below eye triads; sternum monochromous dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, with dark rings on femora (subdistally) and tibiae (proximally and subdistally); abdomen ochre-gray with dark marks dorsally and laterally, ventrally also with dark pattern.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 135 ; ocular area slightly raised; carapace with shallow but distinct median furrow; clypeus with pair of small pointed processes, without median process ( Figs 172–173 ); sternum unmodified.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 172–173 , with pair of small apophyses proximally laterally and pair of long apophyses directed forwards, tips of apophyses distally directed downwards, distance between tips of apophyses: 0.45.

PALPS. As in Figs 150–151 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with distinctive processes ( Fig. 174 ); femur with indistinct small dorsal apophysis proximally; tibia very long (0.78); procursus with several distinctive elements ( Figs 176–177 ); bulb with simple membranous embolus and strongly curved apophysis with rounded tip ( Fig. 175 ).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; with short vertical hairs in higher than usual density on all metatarsi (especially proximally); retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 15%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~20 pseudosegments, mostly quite distinct.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in five males (incl. holotype): 3.2–4.0 (mean 3.5). Males from near Ella are slightly larger (tibia 1: 3.7, 4.0) than those from the type locality (tibia 1: 3.2–3.4); also the palps are slightly larger (e.g., palpal tibia length: 0.84) but shapes of most details identical (only dorsal process of retrolateral sclerite of procursus slightly larger and bent towards retrolateral).

Female. In general similar to male ( Figs 136–137 ) but clypeus unmodified and legs with usual low number of short vertical hairs. Tibia 1 in 9 females: 2.7–3.4 (mean 3.1). Epigynum as in Figs 178–179 , strongly protruding, with distinctive rounded median process; posterior plate apparently reduced(?) to two lateral sclerites mostly hidden behind epigynal plate and not or poorly visible in ventral view; internal genitalia as in Figs 180 , 215 , with pair of small triangular pore plates in very lateral position.

Natural history. At Ella, the spiders were found under rocks in disturbed forest near the cave entrance. At Dematagala, most specimens were found under dead wood and loose bark on the ground.

Distribution. Known from two localities in south-central Sri Lanka ( Fig. 226 ).

Figures

FIGURES 126–137. Wanniyala, live specimens, part 1. 126–128. W. agrabopath Huber & Benjamin, 2005, male and females with egg-sacs from Hakgala. 129–131. W. mudita sp. n., male and females with egg-sacs from Kandy. 132–134. W. orientalis sp. n., males and female with egg-sac from Inginiyagala. 135–137. W. upekkha sp. n., male from Dematagala and females with and without egg-sac from Ella.

FIGURES 150–155. Wanniyala left male palps in prolateral and retrolateral views. 150–151. W. upekkha sp. n. from Dematagala (ZFMK Ar 20086). 152–153. W. viharekele sp. n. from Viharekele (ZFMK Ar 20091). 154–155. W. labugama sp. n. from Labugama (ZFMK Ar 20097). Abbreviations: b, genital bulb; ba, bulbal apophysis; c, coxa; e, embolus; f, femur; p, procursus; pa, patella; pbs, proximal bulbal sclerite; ta, tarsus; ti, tibia; tr, trochanter. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 172–180. Wanniyala upekkha sp. n., from Dematagala (ZFMK Ar 20086). 172–173. Male chelicerae, clypeus and ocular area, frontal and lateral views. 174. Left male palpal trochanter and femur, retrolateral view. 175. Left genital bulb (proximal sclerite, bulbal apophysis and embolus), prolateral view. 176–177. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 178–179. Epigynum, ventral and lateral views. 180. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ps1, ps2, prolateral sclerites 1 and 2; ptp, prolateral transparent process; rs, retrolateral sclerite; vtp, ventral transparent process. Scale lines: 0.3 mm (172–177), 0.5 mm (178–180).

FIGURES 213–219. Wanniyala spp., cleared female genitalia in dorsal views. 213. W. mudita sp. n., from Kandy (ZFMK Ar 20077). 214. W. orientalis sp. n., from Dimbulagala (ZFMK Ar 20079). 215. W. upekkha sp. n., from Dematagala (ZFMK Ar 20086). 216. W. ohiya sp. n., from Ohiya (ZFMK Ar 20089). 217. W. viharekele sp. n., from Viharekele (ZFMK Ar 20092). 218. W. mapalena sp. n., from between Ratnapura and Mapalena Ella (ZFMK Ar 20095). 219. W. labugama sp. n., from Labugama (ZFMK Ar 20097). At various scales.

FIGURES 226–227. Known distribution of Wanniyala.