Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon)

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, The Goblin Spider Genus Brignolia (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (349), pp. 1-131 : 51-52

Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon)

Figures 307, 308 , 795–821

Gamasomorpha nigripalpis Simon, 1893b: 304 (male lectotype, here designated, presumably from either Kandy or Colombo, Sri Lanka, in MNHN; examined). – Simon, 1893c: 302, fig. 263.

Brignolia nigripalpis: Dumitresco and Georgesco, 1983: 107 .

NOTE: Simon (1893b) described both sexes of this species, from two localities in Sri Lanka. Simon typically maintained only one vial per species in his collection; if after describing a species he obtained additional specimens that he regarded as conspecific, he often added them to the original vial. In some cases, he noted the additional localities on the label, but in many cases he did not. It is therefore common for his type vials to contain multiple specimens, from multiple localities, often belonging to multiple species; in the case of Gamasomorpha nigripalpis , the type vial (AR5712, PBI_OON 5506) includes specimens of at least five different species, belonging to at least three different genera. In this case, Simon (1905: 168) subsequently identified material (of unspecified sex) from Pondicherry, India, as belonging to G. nigripalpis , and that material might have been mixed, by Simon, with the original specimens from Sri Lanka. However, the Simon collection does include a separate vial (MNHN AR5704, PBI_OON 5507), labeled as G. nigripalis , containing a single female from Pondicherry, so it is possible that all the specimens in the type vial are actually from Sri Lanka. Simon (1893b, fig. 253) supplied an illustration of the male palp for the species, presumably based on a specimen from Sri Lanka. None of the specimens in the type vial are a good match to that illustration (which is hardly surprising, given the tiny size of these palps). The figure is perhaps closest to two males that belong to B. trichinalis , but it shows a longer, distally narrower anterior process on the endite than is found in that species. Only one of the species included among the type series seems to be represented by both sexes, and we here designate a male of that species as the lectotype. Interestingly, the single female supposedly from Pondicherry also belongs to this species, suggesting that this is indeed the species intended by Simon to be G. nigripalpis , even if the locality data for either the Sri Lankan or Indian specimens turn out to be erroneous.

DIAGNOSIS: This species seems closest to B. rothorum , sharing with it a distinctive triangular projection on the base of the male palpal bulb (figs. 316, 806). Males can be distinguished by having the tip of the palpal bulb directed dorsally (figs. 803, 804), females by the wide sclerotization in the middle of the postepigastric region (figs. 820, 821).

MALE (PBI_OON 5506, figs. 307, 308, 795–811): Total length 1.76. Carapace orange, with dark brown egg-shaped patches behind eyes; pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view; posterolateral edge with pair of pits, posterior declivity without distinct shoulders, top margin with two enlarged setae with enlarged bases on each side, posterior margin rounded, with pair of slight darkenings opposite pits. Sternum covered with small round pits. Scuto-pedicel region with Wshaped scutal ridge almost straight, with slight tubercles. Palpal bulb elongated, middle part with recurved dorsal lobe, with blunt, dorsally directed tip.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 5506, figs. 812– 821): Total length 1.98. Epigynal area with short, anteriorly directed, triangular projection originating near posterior spiracular groove, followed anteriorly by wide sclerotization situated about halfway between epigastric groove and posterior spiracular groove (figs. 820, 821).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Sri Lanka: locality uncertain, presumably either Kandy or Colombo ( MNHN AR5712, PBI_OON 5506), 4 - (including lectotype), 1 U. India: Puducherry: Pondicherry ( MNHN AR5704, PBI_OON 5507), 1 U.

DISTRIBUTION: Sri Lanka and southern India (if all the locality data from the Simon collection are correct).

Figures

Figs. 303–308. 303–306. Brignolia rothorum, new species, male. 303. Left palp, prolateral view. 304. Same, retrolateral view. 305. Left palpal bulb, prolateral view. 306. Same, retrolateral view. 307, 308. B. nigripalpis (Simon), male, left palpal bulb. 307. Cymbial spur, prolateral view. 308. Same, ventral view.

Figs. 795–802. Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon), male. 795. Carapace, dorsal view. 796. Same, anterior view. 797. Same, posterior view. 798. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 799. Abdomen, anterior view. 800. Same, ventral view. 801. Carapace, lateral view. 802. Abdomen, lateral view.

Figs. 803–811. Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon), male. 803, 808. Left palp, prolateral view. 804, 809. Same, retrolateral view. 805. Basal portion of left palpal bulb, prolateral view. 806. Left palpal bulb, dorsal view. 807. Same, ventral view. 810. Same, prolateral view. 811. Same, retrolateral view.

Figs. 812–821. Brignolia nigripalpis (Simon), female. 812. Carapace, dorsal view. 813. Same, anterior view. 814. Same, posterior view. 815. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 816. Abdomen, anterior view. 817. Same, ventral view. 818. Carapace, lateral view. 819. Abdomen, lateral view. 820. Genitalia, ventral view. 821. Same, dorsal view.