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

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). 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): 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). 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): brown crescent-shaped patch. Endogyne (Fig. 16A) 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).