Belisana minneriya, Huber, 2019

Huber, Bernhard A., 2019, The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 4550 (1), pp. 1-57 : 2-5

Belisana minneriya sp. n.

Figures 1–3 , 10–16 , 36–37

Belisana SL37: Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data). Huber et al. 2018: fig. 8.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from Sri Lankan congeners by being the only known litter-dwelling species (i.e., brown color, very short legs: tibia 1 ~1.5); also by male chelicerae with long apophyses ( Fig. 12 ; similar in some species from outside Sri Lanka, e.g. B. dodabetta Huber, 2005 from southern India; see Huber 2005: fig. 599), by procursus with distinctive dorsal sclerite ( Figs 13–14 ), and by short and wide epigynal plate with distinctive lateral pair of humps ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality (noun in apposition).

Type material. SRI LANKA: ♂ holotype, ZFMK (Ar 19999), North Central Province, Minneriya Forest (8.047°N, 80.832°E), 150 m a.s.l., 10.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber) .

Other material examined. SRI LANKA: 1♂ 1♀, ZFMK (Ar 20000), and 1♀ in pure ethanol, ZFMK ( SL123 ), same data as holotype. Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.0, carapace width 0.47. Distance PME- PME 50 µm, diameter PME 60 µm, distance PME-ALE 10 µm; AME absent. Sternum width/length: 0.34/0.28. Leg 1: 5.75 (1.50 + 0.20 + 1.55 + 1.75 + 0.75), tibia 2: 0.95, tibia 3: 0.65, tibia 4: 1.00; tibia 1 L/d: 36. COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs ochre-yellow, abdomen ochre-gray; body and legs without dark marks. BODY. Habitus as in Figs 1–2 ; ocular area barely raised; carapace without median furrow; clypeus and sternum unmodified .

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 12 , with pair of small apophyses proximally laterally and pair of long apophyses directed toward lateral and slightly downward; distance between tips of apophyses 0.35.

PALPS. As in Figs 10–11 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with short and wide rounded process ventrally; femur without process; procursus with transparent retrolateral flap, with distinctive dorsal sclerite and complex membranous elements distally ( Figs 13–14 ); bulb with long and slender apophysis curved distally and simple embolus lying parallel to bulbal apophysis.

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 22%; prolateral trichobothrium apparently absent on tibia 1; tarsus 1 with ~15 pseudosegments.

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in other male: 1.40.

Female. In general similar to male ( Fig. 3 ); tibia 1: 1.5 (missing in second female). Epigynum as in Fig. 15 , short but wide plate barely darker than rest of abdomen, with distinctive pair of lateral humps carrying pair of pockets, distance between pockets 315 µm. Internal genitalia as in Figs 16 , 36–37 , with pair of small pore plates.

Natural history. This species was found in dry leaf litter among low vegetation outside the forest.

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 220 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Belisana, live specimens. 1–3. B. minneriya sp. n., males and female with egg-sac from Minneriya. 4–5. B. keyti Huber, 2005, male and female with egg-sac from Hakgala. 6–7. B. gowindahela sp. n., male from Ethagala, female with egg-sac from Dematagala. 8–9. B. ratnapura Huber, 2005, male from Mapalena Ella, female with egg-sac from Viharekele.

FIGURES 10–16. Belisana minneriya sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 20000). 10–11. Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 12. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 13–14. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 15. Epigynum, ventral view. 16. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: b, genital bulb; ba, bulbal apophysis; c, coxa; ds, dorsal sclerite; e, embolus; f, femur; p, procursus; pbs, proximal bulbal sclerite; rf, retrolateral flap; ta, tarsus; ti, tibia; tr, trochanter. Scale lines: 0.2 mm (10– 12, 15–16), 0.1 mm (13–14).

FIGURES 36–41. Cleared female genitalia in ventral and dorsal views. 36–37. Belisana minneriya sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 20000). 38–39. Belisana gowindahela sp. n. (ZFMK Ar 20007). 40–41. B. ratnapura Huber, 2005 (ZFMK Ar 20015). Abbreviations: po, pocket(s); pp, pore plate. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 220–221. Known distribution of Belisana in Sri Lanka.