Merizocera phuket Li sp. nov. Figures 27, 28, 54

Type material.

Holotype: male (IZCAS), Toh Sae Mountain (7°53.96'N, 98°23.98'E, elevation 203 m), Mueang District, Phuket, Thailand, 29 October 2015, P. Wongprom leg. Paratypes: 2 males and 2 females (IZCAS), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

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

Diagnosis.

Males resemble those of M. ratnapura sp. nov. but can be distinguished by the relatively thin and long conductor (Fig. 27B) (vs. relatively thick and short conductor (Fig. 33B)), embolus with consistent width (Fig. 27B) (vs. embolus gradually thinner towards tip (Fig. 33B)), embolus length similar to bulb length (Fig. 27B) (vs. embolus twice longer than bulb (Fig. 33B)). Females can be distinguished by their horizontally angled elongated spermathecae (Fig. 28A) (vs. wide tubular spermathecae with globose stalked spermatheca medially (Fig. 34A)).

Description.

Male (holotype). Total length 1.39; carapace 0.64 long, 0.59 wide; abdomen 0.72 long, 0.49 wide. Carapace circular, brownish, with dark brown radiating marks and narrow dark brown stripe (Fig. 28C). Fovea shallow. Thoracic region distinctly elevated medially. Clypeus brownish, with dark brown marks medially. Labium dark brown. Sternum dark brown, with dark radiating lines. Abdomen slightly elongated, dark brown. Legs light brown; measurements: I 7.37 (1.98, 0.22, 2.25, 2.08, 0.84), II 5.26 (1.44, 0.21, 1.60, 1.41, 0.60), III 3.96 (1.13, 0.20, 1.15, 0.99, 0.49), IV 6.05 (1.62, 0.21, 1.90, 1.60, 0.72). Palp (Fig. 27A-D): femur slender, four times longer than patella; patella not swollen; tibia not swollen, half length of femur; cymbium with distal protrusion, length ratio of dorsal elongation and cymbium 1.39; bulb pale yellow; pyriform with embolus and conductor arising distally; embolus slightly bent, 1/3 width of and similar length as bulb, conductor basally connected with embolus, thin, short, needle-like, 1/5 embolus length.

Female (paratype). Similar to male in colouration and general features but slightly larger (Fig. 28D, E). Measurements: total length 1.70; carapace 0.64 long, 0.56 wide; abdomen 0.99 long, 0.86 wide. Leg measurements: I 5.24 (1.34, 0.20, 1.56, 1.39, 0.75), II 4.04 (1.06, 0.20, 1.20, 0.99, 0.59), III 3.29 (0.86, 0.20, 0.92, 0.82, 0.49), IV 4.81 (1.21, 0.20, 1.47, 1.23, 0.70). Epigastric area (Fig. 28B): dark brown patch, medially with horizontal pale brown slit. Endogyne (Fig. 28A) with a pair of slight horizontally angled elongated spermathecae, tip pointed upright, ratio of the width of spermatheca to the interdistance of spermathecae 1:4.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Thailand; Fig. 54).