Merizocera tanintharyi 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 tanintharyi Li sp. nov. Figures 38 , 39 , 54

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), Tanintharyi Nature Reserve (14°44.12'N, 98°11.55'E, elevation 307 m), Myanmar, 24 October 2017, Z. Chen leg. Paratypes: 1 male and 3 females (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

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

Diagnosis.

Diagnosis features of males and females are discussed in M. mainling sp. nov. Recognised by a wide and appendage-like conductor as long as the embolus (Fig. 38B ). It can be distinguished from the Psiloderces leucopygius group by an inconspicuous cymbial protrusion and a distinct conductor (vs. distinct or short cymbial protrusion and an inconspicuous conductor in the leucopygius group).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.76; carapace 0.85 long, 0.74 wide; abdomen 0.95 long, 0.59 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown marks laterally and dark brown median line (Fig. 39C ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus, labium and sternum dark brown. Abdomen slightly elongated, dark brown. Legs light brown; measurements: I 9.11 (2.66, 0.31, 2.97, 2.25, 0.92), II 7.14 (1.90, 0.27, 2.10, 1.98, 0.89), III 5.50 (1.53, 0.26, 1.64, 1.44, 0.63), IV 8.18 (2.20, 0.29, 2.45, 2.28, 0.96). Palp (Fig. 38A-D ): femur slender, 1/3 patella length; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen, 1/2 femur length; cymbium with distal protrusion, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 0.40; bulb pale yellow, pyriform with embolus and conductor emerging distally, attached but separated at the tip; embolus pointed and darken at the tip; conductor gradually thinner at the tip.

Female (paratype). Similar to the male in colouration and general features but slightly larger (Fig. 39D, E ). Measurements: total length 1.66; carapace 0.75 long, 0.62 wide; abdomen 0.91 long, 0.71 wide. Leg measurements: I 6.12 (1.55, 0.25, 1.82, 1.60, 0.90), II 4.80 (1.23, 0.23, 1.38, 1.24, 0.72), III 3.90 (1.03, 0.22, 1.09, 0.99, 0.57), IV missing. Epigastric area (Fig. 39B ): dark brown elliptical patch, medially with pale yellow slit. Endogyne (Fig. 39A ) with three pairs of short tubular spermathecae, lateral pairs relatively widely separated, median two pairs attached closely together.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Myanmar; Fig. 54 ).

Figures

Figure 38. Merizocera tanintharyi 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 39. Merizocera tanintharyi sp. nov., holotype male and paratype female. A Endogyne, dorsal view B female epigastric area, ventral view C male habitus, dorsal view D female habitus, dorsal view E female habitus, ventral view. Abbreviation: SP = spermatheca.

Figure 54. Distribution records of the new species of Merizocera from Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. 1 M. betong sp. nov. 2 M. mandai sp. nov. 3 M. krabi sp. nov. 4 M. phuket sp. nov. 5 M. ranong sp. nov. 6 M. tak sp. nov. 7 M. tanintharyi sp. nov. 8 M. yala sp. nov.