Merizocera phuket 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

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.961.53058
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B5627BFE-56A2-42B3-B3A5-96BAE07724F4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/01F5775C-4E6A-40F7-853A-EE6974F7037A
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:01F5775C-4E6A-40F7-853A-EE6974F7037A
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Merizocera phuket Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merizocera phuket Li View in CoL sp. nov. Figures 27 View Figure 27 , 28 View Figure 28 , 54 View Figure 54

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), Toh Sae Mountain (7°53.96'N, 98°23.98'E, elevation 203 m), Mueang District, Phuket, Thailand, 29 October 2015, P. Wongprom leg. Paratypes: 2 males and 2 females (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

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

Diagnosis.

Males resemble those of M. ratnapura sp. nov. but can be distinguished by the relatively thin and long conductor (Fig. 27B View Figure 27 ) (vs. relatively thick and short conductor (Fig. 33B View Figure 33 )), embolus with consistent width (Fig. 27B View Figure 27 ) (vs. embolus gradually thinner towards tip (Fig. 33B View Figure 33 )), embolus length similar to bulb length (Fig. 27B View Figure 27 ) (vs. embolus twice longer than bulb (Fig. 33B View Figure 33 )). Females can be distinguished by their horizontally angled elongated spermathecae (Fig. 28A View Figure 28 ) (vs. wide tubular spermathecae with globose stalked spermatheca medially (Fig. 34A View Figure 34 )).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.39; carapace 0.64 long, 0.59 wide; abdomen 0.72 long, 0.49 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown radiating marks and narrow dark brown stripe (Fig. 28C View Figure 28 ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus brownish, with dark brown marks medially. Labium dark brown. Sternum dark brown, with dark radiating lines. Abdomen slightly elongated, dark brown. Legs light brown; measurements: I 7.37 (1.98, 0.22, 2.25, 2.08, 0.84), II 5.26 (1.44, 0.21, 1.60, 1.41, 0.60), III 3.96 (1.13, 0.20, 1.15, 0.99, 0.49), IV 6.05 (1.62, 0.21, 1.90, 1.60, 0.72). Palp (Fig. 27A-D View Figure 27 ): femur slender, four times longer than patella; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen, half length of femur; cymbium with distal protrusion, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 1.39; bulb pale yellow; pyriform with embolus and conductor arising distally; embolus slightly bent, 1/3 width of and similar length as bulb, conductor basally connected with embolus, thin, short, needle-like, 1/5 embolus length.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in colouration and general features but slightly larger (Fig. 28D, E View Figure 28 ). Measurements: total length 1.70; carapace 0.64 long, 0.56 wide; abdomen 0.99 long, 0.86 wide. Leg measurements: I 5.24 (1.34, 0.20, 1.56, 1.39, 0.75), II 4.04 (1.06, 0.20, 1.20, 0.99, 0.59), III 3.29 (0.86, 0.20, 0.92, 0.82, 0.49), IV 4.81 (1.21, 0.20, 1.47, 1.23, 0.70). Epigastric area (Fig. 28B View Figure 28 ): dark brown patch, medially with horizontal pale brown slit. Endogyne (Fig. 28A View Figure 28 ) with a pair of slight horizontally angled elongated spermathecae, tip pointed upright, ratio of the width of spermatheca to the interdistance of spermathecae 1:4.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Thailand; Fig. 54 View Figure 54 ).