Merizocera mandai 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/F8BB7D25-0E42-443C-A087-F16B0C4CB036
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:F8BB7D25-0E42-443C-A087-F16B0C4CB036
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Merizocera mandai Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Merizocera mandai Li sp. nov. Figures 15 View Figure 15 , 16 View Figure 16 , 54 View Figure 54

Merizocera sp. 279: Li and Li 2018 (molecular data).

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), near Mandai Agrotechnology Park (1°24.90'N, 103°47.94'E, elevation 46 m), Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Singapore, 1 September 2015, S. Li and Y. Tong leg. Paratypes: 2 females (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition. Mandai is an important biodiversity conservation area in Singapore.

Diagnosis.

Males resemble M. salawa sp. nov. but can be distinguished by strongly swollen palpal tibia (Fig. 15D View Figure 15 ) (vs. palpal tibia not swollen (Fig. 35D View Figure 35 )), presence of swollen embolus base (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ) (vs. normal embolus base (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 )), conductor tip not divided (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ) (vs. bifurcate (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 )), bulb with a notch (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ) (vs. without notch (Fig. 35B View Figure 35 )). The females can be distinguished by a pair of slight twisted, stalked spermathecae each bearing a globose distal part, directed downwards (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.41; carapace 0.62 long, 0.59 wide; abdomen 0.76 long, 0.54 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown marks laterally and dark brown median stripe (Fig. 16C View Figure 16 ). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus and labium dark brown. Sternum dark brown but lighter medially, with dark radiating lines. Abdomen slightly elongated, dark brown. Legs brown; measurements: I and II missing, III 4.09 (1.11, 0.19, 1.24, 1.05, 0.50), IV 6.30 (1.64, 0.20, 1.94, 1.68, 0.84). Palp (Fig. 15A-D View Figure 15 ): femur slender, thrice longer than patella, patella not swollen; tibia swollen proximally, half as long as femur; cymbium with distal protrusion, 1/3 femur length, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 0.67; bulb pale yellow, embolus and conductor arising distally, tegular with a notch anteriorly; embolus basally swollen, swollen part occupies half length of embolus and almost half width of bulb; conductor basally connected with embolus, tentacle-like, 1/3 length of embolus.

Female (paratype). General features and colouration similar to those of male (Fig. 16D, E View Figure 16 ). Measurements: total length 1.41; carapace 0.58 long, 0.51 wide; abdomen 0.84 long, 0.51 wide. Leg measurements: I and IV missing, II 3.97 (1.05, 0.19, 1.14, 1.00, 0.59), III 3.10 (0.83, 0.18, 0.82, 0.79, 0.48). Epigastric area (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 ): brown crescent-shaped patch. Endogyne (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ) with a pair of slightly twisted stalked spermathecae, bearing globose distal ends pointed posteriorly, anterior-medially with a spherical structure.

Distribution.

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