Pelicinus monteithi, 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 : 39-40

Pelicinus monteithi , new species

Figures 296–312

TYPE: Male holotype from Berlese sample of rainforest litter taken at an elevation of 700 m at Mandjélia, 20°24′S, 164°32′E, New Caledonia (May 12, 1984; G. Monteith, D. Cook), deposited in QMB ( S79751 , PBI_OON 22583 ) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of one of the collectors, Geoff Monteith.

DIAGNOSIS: Males resemble those of P. raveni and the other New Caledonian species in having a punctate dorsal abdominal scutum (fig. 298), but differ in their lighter coloration (fig. 296) and the long embolus, which extends past the conductor and has a blunt tip (figs. 300– 306). Females have a distinctively bell-shaped dorsal extension on the base of the anterior T-shaped process (figs. 311, 312).

MALE (PBI_OON 22639, figs. 296–306): Total length 1.77. Carapace pale orange, elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides finely reticulate, posterior portion with granulations. Sternum pale orange, surface smooth, microsculpture absent. Mouthparts pale orange, endites unmodified. Abdomen without dark markings. Scutopedicel region with six heavy, sinuous transverse ridges. Dorsal scutum pale orange, punctate, covering more than ¾ of abdomen length, no soft tissue visible from above. Postepigastric scutum pale orange, covering about ¾ of abdomen length. Embolus long, extending past conductor, with blunt tip.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 21464, figs. 307–312): Total length 2.01. Postepigastric scutum short, almost rectangular. Dorsal expansion on base of T-shaped sclerite bell shaped.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: New Caledonia: Mandjélia , 20°24′S, 164°32′E, May 13– Oct. 1992, pitfall trap (R. Raven, E. Guilbert, G. Ingram, QMB 79626 , PBI_ OON 21464 ), 1♀ ; Nehoue Campground, 20°26′S, 164°14′E, Nov. 6, 2001, pyrethrum spraying of trees and logs, elev. 50 m (C. Burwell, G. Monteith, QMB 79734 , PBI _ OON 22639 ), 3♂ , Nov. 30, 2003, pyrethrum spraying of trees and logs, elev. 50 m (G. Monteith, QMB S 79769 , PBI _ OON 22616 ), 1♂ .

DISTRIBUTION: Northern New Caledonia.

Figures

FIGURES 296–312. Pelicinus monteithi, new species, male (296–306) and female (307–312). 296. Habitus, dorsal view. 297. Same, lateral view. 298, 308. Abdomen, anterior view. 299. Sternum, ventral view. 300, 302. Left palp, prolateral view. 301, 304. Same, retrolateral view. 303. Same, ventral view. 305. Left embolus, retrolateral view. 306. Right embolus, dorsal view. 307. Abdomen, ventral view. 309. Carapace, anterior view. 310, 311. Genitalia, ventral view. 312. Same, dorsal view.