Mallinella suavis ( Thorell, 1895 ) Thorell, 1895

Dankittipakul, Pakawin, Tavano, Maria & Singtripop, Tippawan, 2011, Notes on Burmese spiders formerly attributed to the genus Storena (Zodariidae, Araneae), Zootaxa 3048, pp. 53-61 : 54-55

Mallinella suavis ( Thorell, 1895) comb. nov.

( Figs 7 , 9–11 , 23 )

Storena suavis Thorell. Thorell, 1895: 25 , description of female

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, BURMA, Tenassarim: no date, leg. E. Oates ( NHML, examined).

Taxonomic remarks. Thorell (1897: 193) considered S. suavis as a junior synonym of S. exornata judging from the general appearance of the females. He cited the close resemblance of dorsal and lateral color patterns on the opisthosoma, as well as on the tarsi of legs as crucial.

Diagnosis. The female type of S. suavis is recognized by the narrowed, transverse median plate of the epigyne ( Figs 7 , 23 ), and by the widely separated spermathecae in dorsal view ( Fig. 9 ).

Redescription. Female (holotype): Prosoma pear-shaped, widest between coxae III, in profile highest just behind ocular region. Fovea deep, longitudinal. Carapace dark reddish brown; sternum yellowish brown; chelicerae reddish brown. Legs orange brown. Opisthosoma oval, covered with fine pubescence. Dorsum purplish brown. Dorsal pattern represented by two pairs of pale, rounded spots (first pair smallest, second pair largest, obliquely arranged), followed by two transverse median bands and broad pre-anal ring. Venter pale, with broad, purplish band running mid-longitudinally, flanked by two oblique, lateral bands. Posterior ventral spines in front of spinnerets cylindrical, aligned in a single row, their apices blunt. Genitalia ( Figs 7 , 9–11 , 23 ). Median plate of epigyne lightly sclerotized, represented by thin, narrowed band, its posterior margin rebordered, medially slightly protruding over epigastric furrow. Lateral margins of epigyne retracted. Spermathecae widely separated, running parallel to each other, slightly divergent apically; internal ducts clearly visible, provided with simple apical coils.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality Tenassarim, a mountain range in southern Burma.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Mallinella species. 1. Mallinella fronto comb. nov. female holotype. 2, 3. M. fronto comb. nov., female (= S. exornata per Thorell) from Mt. Karen. 4. M. fronto comb. nov., female from Carin Bia-po. 5. M. fronto comb. nov., female (= S. exornata per Thorell) from Carin Bia-po. 6. M. fronto comb. nov., female (= S. exornata per Thorell) from Carin Ghecu. 7. M. suavis comb. nov., female holotype. 8. M. exornata comb. nov., female (= S. suavis per Thorell) from Teinzo. 1, 2. Epigyne, dorsal view. 3 - 8. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale lines = 0. 1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Mallinella suavis comb. nov., female holotype. 9. Internal genital structures, dorsal view. 10. Left spermatheca, lateral view. 11. Right spermatheca, anterior view. Scale lines = 0. 1 mm.

FIGURES 23 – 26. Mallinella species, female epigyne, ventral view. 23. Mallinella suavis comb. nov., holotype. 24. M. fronto comb. nov., from Carin Bia-po. 25. M. fronto comb. nov., female (= S. exornata per Thorell) from Carin Bia-po. 26. M. fronto comb. nov., female (= S. exornata per Thorell) from Palon.