Paculla bukittimahensis Lin & Li

Lin, Yucheng, Koh, Joseph K. H., Koponen, Seppo & Li, Shuqiang, 2017, Taxonomic notes on the armored spiders of the families Pacullidae and Tetrablemmidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Singapore, ZooKeys 661, pp. 15-60 : 17

Paculla bukittimahensis Lin & Li sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (LKCNHM), SINGAPORE: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Catchment Path, altitude 107 m, 1°21'12.5"N, 103°46'50.6"E, 20 August 2015, S. Li and Y. Tong leg. Paratypes 1♂ and 5♀ (LKCNHM), same data as holotype.

Other material examined.

1♂ and 3♀ (NHMSU), SINGAPORE: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Catchment Path, altitude 107 m, 1°21'12.5"N, 103°46'50.6"E, 20 August 2015, S. Li and Y. Tong leg.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

This new species can be distinguished from all congeners with the exception of Paculla mului Bourne, 1981 and Paculla wanlessi Bourne, 1981 by the wide, short embolus (Fig. 2A, C–D), the well-developed postgenital scutum (Fig. 1G) and the nearly rectangular atrium (Fig. 3B). It differs from Paculla mului (see Bourne, 1981: 220, figs 11-17) by the normal male femur I lacking a subdistal-ventral process, the longer, particularly furcated embolus (Fig. 2A, C–D) and the presence of three disjunct bridge fragments of MV (Fig. 3B); and from Paculla wanlessi (see Bourne, 1981: 217, figs 1-10) by the larger bulb (Fig. 2 C–D), the more pointed embolus (Fig. 2 A–B), the nearly trapeziform preanal scutum (Figs 1G, 3B) and the triangular median ventrolateral plate (Figs 1G, 3 A–B). It can be separated from Paculla globosa sp. n. (Figs 5 A–D, 6 A–B) by the wider, shorter embolus (Fig. 2 A–B), the slightly compressed bulb (Fig. 2 C–D), and the three shorter, disjunctive bridge fragments of MV (Fig. 3B) and the nearly rectangular atrium (Fig. 3B).

Description.

Male (holotype). Coloration: body dark reddish brown; legs reddish-brown.

Measurements: total length 4.05; carapace 1.80 long, 1.35 wide, 1.12 high; abdomen 2.35 long, 1.65 wide, 1.78 high; clypeus 0.45 high; sternum 1.05 long, 0.90 wide. Length of legs: I 7.01 (2.12, 0.53, 2.00, 1.52, 0.84); II 5.85 (1.81, 0.50, 1.54, 1.25, 0.75); III 4.82 (1.45, 0.45, 1.20, 1.10, 0.62); IV 6.64 (2.00, 0.51, 1.83, 1.62, 0.68).

Prosoma (Fig. 1 A–B, E): carapace finely granulated, margin rugose, covered with thin setae; eyes white, ALE>AME=PLE; cephalic part moderately raised; cervical groove distinct; clypeus vertical anteriorly; labium triangular, distally obtuse; sternum rough, marginally rugose, posterior corner protruded. Legs: cuticle striated, weakly granular.

Opisthosoma (Fig. 1 A–B, E): dorsal scutum long, oval, smooth, modified by tiny pits, covered with thin setae; ventral scutum rugose; lateral scutum I short, perigenital scutum triangular, postepigastral scutum same width as preanal scutum.

Palp (Fig. 2 A–D): femoral cuticle slightly striated, approximately 2.5 times as long as patella; patella proximally narrow, distally wide; tibia large, swollen, 1.5 times as wide as femur; cymbium compressed, distally bifurcate; bulb tomato-shaped, surface smooth (Fig. 2 C–D); embolus long, proximally sclerotized, distally rugose membranous, starting from subdistal-ventral 1/3 position of bulbous surface, and curved downwards; embolic tip flexuous, and asymmetric split ends (Fig. 2 A–B).

Female (one of paratypes). Coloration as in male.

Measurements: total length 4.42; carapace 1.85 long, 1.40 wide, 1.13 high; abdomen 2.85 long, 1.85 wide, 2.03 high; clypeus 0.43 high; sternum 1.10 long, 0.97 wide. Length of legs: I 7.37 (2.27, 0.55, 2.10, 1.60, 0.85); II 6.11 (1.90, 0.50, 1.60, 1.38, 0.73); III 5.19 (1.55, 0.49, 1.30, 1.20, 0.65); IV 7.19 (2.15, 0.52, 2.00, 1.77, 0.75). Length of palp: 1.62 (0.48, 0.21, 0.35, 0.58).

Carapace, abdomen, and legs as in male (Fig. 1 C–D, F); clypeus slightly lower than in male.

Genitalia (Figs 1G; 3 A–B): epigynal area strongly sclerotized (Fig. 1G); postgenital scutum wider than preanal scutum; median ventrolateral plate triangular (Fig. 3A). Vulva with a large, nearly rectangular atrium; three bridge fragments of MV disjunctive, the medial shorter than the laterals, below the atrium, and closed to the dorso-posterior margin of postgenital scutum (Fig. 3B).

Distribution.

Singapore.