Merizocera salawa Li, 2020

Chang, Wan-Jin, Yao, Zhiyuan & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Twenty-eight new species of the spider genus Merizocera Fage, 1912 (Araneae, Psilodercidae) from South and Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 961, pp. 41-118 : 41

Merizocera salawa Li sp. nov. Figures 35 , 36 , 52

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), Lenawara Lena (= cave) (6°56.77'N, 80°6.76'E, elevation 66 m), Salawa Village, Avissawella Town, Maniyangama, Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, 25 September 2014, S. Kosala leg.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Diagnosis features of males are discussed in M. mandai sp. nov. Bulb with a widely separated bifurcate conductor, and a curved embolus (Fig. 35B ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.52; carapace 0.61 long, 0.54 wide; abdomen 0.88 long, 0.41 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown marks laterally and dark brown median stripe on anterior half (Fig. 36C ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus brownish, with dark brown marks medially. Labium dark brown. Sternum dark brown but brownish medially. Abdomen elongated, dark grey, with dark brown marks dorsally and ventrally. Legs missing. Palp (Fig. 35A-D ): femur slender, four times longer than patella; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen, 1/2 femur length; cymbium with distal protrusion, 1/2 femur length, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium: 0.63; bulb pale yellow, pyriform with embolus and conductor emerging distally; embolus arising laterally, bent, with consistent width; conductor bifurcate, arising laterally, similar width as embolus, resembles a widely open crescent-shape.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Sri Lanka; Fig. 52 ).

Figures

Figure 35. Merizocera salawa sp. nov., holotype male. A Bulb, dorsal view B bulb, dorsal view, embolus and conductor distorted C palp, prolateral view D palp, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: CO = conductor, CP = cymbial protrusion, EM = embolus.

Figure 36. Merizocera salawa sp. nov., holotype male. A Habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view.

Figure 52. Distribution records of the new species of Merizocera from Sri Lanka. 1 M. colombo sp. nov. 2 M. galle sp. nov. 3 M. kandy sp. nov. 4 M. kurunegala sp. nov. 5 M. peraderiya sp. nov. 6 M. ratnapura sp. nov. 7 M. salawa sp. nov. 8 M. thenna sp. nov. 9 M. uva sp. nov.