Brignolia nilgiri, Platnick & Dupérré, 2011

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, The Goblin Spider Genus Brignolia (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (349), pp. 1-131 : 76-79

Brignolia nilgiri , new species

Figures 442–469

TYPES: Male holotype and female allotype taken by sifting in a forest at an elevation of 900 m at Nilgiri, 15 km E Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, India (Nov. 19, 1972; C. Besuchet, I. Löbl), deposited in MHNG (PBI_OON 12524, 12802) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS: Males can easily be recognized by the overhanging dorsal ledge on the palpal bulb (figs. 450, 452, 456, 458); the female genitalia resemble those of B. rothorum but have a longer triangle extending anteriorly from the posterior spiracular groove (figs. 468, 469) as well as a high-shouldered, square-rimmed carapace morphology.

MALE (PBI_OON 12524, figs. 442–459): Total length 1.91. Carapace orange-brown, with dark brown egg-shaped patches behind eyes; pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view; posterolateral edge without pits, posterior declivity with distinct shoulders, posterior margin squared. Sternum covered with small round pits. Scuto-pedicel region with W-shaped scutal ridge, very deep but so weak near midline as to appear like two Vshaped ridges, without tubercles, but sclerotization weakened abruptly at width of pedicel triangles. Palpal bulb with deep dorsal excavation behind squared, apical, dorsal protrusion.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 12524, figs. 460– 469): Total length 1.88. Postepigastric area with long, narrow, posteriorly directed anterior process and short, triangular, anteriorly directed posterior process; posterior tub squiggled.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Two female taken with the types (MHNG PBI_OON 12802).

DISTRIBUTION: Tamil Nadu, India.

Figures

Figs. 442–449. Brignolia nilgiri, new species, male. 442. Carapace, dorsal view. 443. Same, anterior view. 444. Same, posterior view. 445. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 446. Abdomen, anterior view. 447. Same, ventral view. 448. Carapace, lateral view. 449. Abdomen, lateral view.

Figs. 450–453. Brignolia nilgiri, new species, male. 450. Left palp, prolateral view. 451. Same, retrolateral view. 452. Left palpal bulb, prolateral view. 453. Same, retrolateral view.

Figs. 454–459. Brignolia nilgiri, new species, male. 454. Endite, ventral view. 455. Left palp, prolateral view. 456. Same, retrolateral view. 457. Left palpal bulb, prolateral view. 458. Same, retrolateral view. 459. Same, dorsal view.

Figs. 460–469. Brignolia nilgiri, new species, female. 460. Carapace, dorsal view. 461. Same, anterior view. 462. Same, posterior view. 463. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 464. Abdomen, anterior view. 465. Same, ventral view. 466. Carapace, lateral view. 467. Abdomen, lateral view. 468. Genitalia, ventral view. 469. Same, dorsal view.