Merizocera kurunegala Li sp. nov. Figures 19, 20, 52

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), near Arankele Cave (7°38.42'N, 80°25.33'E, elevation 114 m), Kubukwewa Village, Hiripitiya, Kurunegala District, Northwestern Province, Sri Lanka, 11 October 2014, S. Kosala leg. Paratype: 1 female (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males resemble M. peraderiya sp. nov. and M. picturata but can be distinguished by a relatively shorter bulb (Fig. 19B) (1/2 length of that in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B) and M. picturata), an evenly bent embolus in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B) and M. picturata (vs. an angularly bent embolus in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B)), furcate conductor in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B) and M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B) (vs. conductor not furcate in M. picturata), conductor arising medially in M. picturata (vs. conductor not arising medially in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 19B) and M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 25B)). The females can be distinguished by having sessile wavy spermathecae in M. kurunegala sp. nov. (Fig. 20A) and M. picturata (vs. a pair of S-shaped spermathecae in M. peraderiya sp. nov. (Fig. 26A)).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.33; carapace 0.67 long, 0.53 wide; abdomen 0.65 long, 0.49 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown marks laterally and dark brown median stripe on anterior half (Fig. 20C). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus brownish, with dark brown marks medially. Labium and sternum dark brown. Abdomen ovoid, dark grey, with dark brown marks dorsally and ventrally. Legs brown; measurements: I 7.14 (1.94, 0.22, 2.20, 1.96, 0.82), II missing, III 3.66 (1.03, 0.19, 1.05, 0.95, 0.44), IV 5.87 (1.53, 0.19, 1.80, 1.62, 0.73). Palp (Fig. 19A-D): femur slender, thrice longer than patella, patella not swollen; tibia slightly swollen proximally, twice wider and half length of femur; cymbium with distal protrusion, half length of femur, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 0.64; bulb pale yellow; embolus dark, evenly bent, twice as long as bulb; conductor trifurcate with two pointed upwards, and third pointed downwards, stem of conductor thrice wider than that of embolus.

Female (paratype). General features and colouration similar to those of male (Fig. 20D, E). Measurements: total length 1.41; carapace 0.62 long, 0.53 wide; abdomen 0.76 long, 0.67 wide. Leg measurements: I 3.99 (1.00, 0.19, 1.20, 0.98, 0.62), II 3.11 (0.82, 0.19, 0.87, 0.75, 0.48), III missing, IV 3.84 (0.98, 0.18, 1.11, 0.99, 0.58). Epigastric area (Fig. 20B): dark brown nearly trapezoidal patch. Endogyne (Fig. 20A) with a pair of wavy spermathecae with globose distal ends.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Sri Lanka; Fig. 52).