Maiestas scripta (Distant)

Webb, Michael D. & Viraktamath, Chandra A., 2009, 2163, Zootaxa 2163, pp. 1-64 : 41

Maiestas scripta (Distant) . Comb. nov. ( Fig. 33)

Deltocephalus scriptus Distant, 1908: 389 , Sri Lanka.

Type material examined. Type (sex unknown, abdomen missing), Sri Lanka: Weligama, T.B. Fletcher, 22.i.08, plus Distant’s hand written determination label with the word ‘Type’ and a red museum ‘Type’ disc ( BMNH) .

Remarks. Although this species was described from an unknown number of specimens from “ Ceylon; Weligama (Fletcher)” Distant noted in its description that the “abdomen beneath [was] imperfectly seen in [the] typical specimen, but apparently more or less piceous on [its] lateral margins”. This statement is both ambiguous (as it could imply either a single specimen or one (the typical specimen) of several specimens) and puzzling because if the abdomen was obscure why are other ventral parts of the body adequately described? Also, the type specimen, although now missing its abdomen, is mounted on a micro pin and therefore its abdomen (when present) would surely have been clearly visible! Another specimen (BMNH) from W. Malaysia, Pahang (see Fig. 33, male genitalia), matches the type almost exactly, including the unusual markings (see Fig. 33a), but if the two specimens are the same species their disjunct distribution is surprising.