Pelicinus churchillae, Platnick & Dupérré & Ubick & Fannes, 2012

Platnick, Norman I., Dupérré, Nadine, Ubick, Darrell & Fannes, Wouter, 2012, The Goblin Spider Genus Pelicinus (Araneae, Oonopidae), Part 1, American Museum Novitates 2012 (3741), pp. 1-44 : 34-39

Pelicinus churchillae , new species

Figures 285–295

TYPE: Male holotype (missing abdomen) taken in pitfall trap at campsite at Javae Station, New Georgia , Solomon Islands (June 21–26, 1990; T. Churchill), deposited in QMB ( S18921 , PBI_OON 7209 ) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of the collector, Tracey Churchill.

DIAGNOSIS: Males resemble those of the New Caledonian species in having granulations at the rear of the pars thoracica, but can be distinguished by the combination of having the cephalothorax orange rather than red (figs. 285–288) and the embolus basally broad, narrowing gradually from the bulb (figs. 289–295).

MALE (PBI_OON 7209, figs. 285–295): Carapace length 0.66 (abdomen missing). Carapace pale orange, elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides granulate. Sternum pale orange, finely reticulate. Mouthparts pale orange, endites distally with narrow, rounded, white tip. Abdomen missing. Embolus basally broad, gradually narrowed toward bulb.

FEMALE: Unknown.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: None.

DISTRIBUTION: Solomon Islands (New Georgia).

Figures

FIGURES 285–295. Pelicinus churchillae, new species, male. 285. Carapace, dorsal view. 286. Same, anterior view. 287. Same, lateral view. 288. Sternum, ventral view. 289, 291. Left palp, prolateral view. 290, 293. Same, retrolateral view. 292. Same, ventral view. 294. Left embolus, retrolateral view. 295. Right embolus, dorsal view.