Xestaspis pophami, Ranasinghe, U. G. S. L. & Benjamin, Sh. P., 2016

Ranasinghe, U. G. S. L. & Benjamin, Sh. P., 2016, The Goblin spider genus Xestaspis in Sri Lanka (Araneae: Oonopidae), Zootaxa 4189 (1) : -

Xestaspis pophami sp. nov.

( Figs.11–12 )

Type material. 1 ♂ Holotype (IFS_Oon_070): Sri Lanka: Central Province, Matale District, NIFS Arboretum , 0 7°51’34”N 80°40’28”E, ca. 180m, 27 April 2010, leg. S. P. Benjamin, S. Batuwita . 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratype (IFS_Oon_070-071), collected with the holotype.

Other material examined. 1 ♀ (IFS_Oon_027), Sri Lanka: Central Province, Matale District, Knuckles range, Riverston , 0 7°31’42” N 80°44’17”E, 1100m, 0 2 December 2009, leg. S. P. Benjamin and S. Batuwita.

Etymology. Named after Mr. F. H. Popham, founder of the NIFS Arboretum.

Diagnosis. X. pophami sp. nov. can be recognized by the presence of two pairs of tiny posterolateral spikes on either posterior side of the carapace ( Fig. 11 A). Further, males are recognized by the embolus which is blunt at the tip and females by the rectangular shaped receptaculum and secretory sac ( Fig. 12 B).

Description. Description based on two males and two females.

MALE: Body Length: 1.80, uniformly orange brown or red brown colored species. Carapace: ovoid in dorsal view ( Fig. 11 A), pars cephalica not strongly elevated in lateral view ( Fig. 11 B), surface smooth and two pairs of tiny posterolateral spikes (cps) present on either posterior sides of carapace ( Fig. 11 A), lateral margin straight from lateral view, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 11 D). Clypeus: margin unmodified ( Fig. 11 C), chelicera inner margin with enlarged setae (ceh). Eyes: six, well developed, ALE largest, oval shaped and posterior eyes sub equal, roundish and slightly smaller than ALE, ALE separated from edge of carapace by about their diameter. Sternum: longer than wide (length: 0.90, width: 0.68), surface smooth but with few hairs, radial furrows well perceptible between coxae I–II, II–III and III–IV, furrows initiated like channels and ended up with roundish drop like pits ( Fig. 11 E), distance between coxae equal, anterior margin with short straight transverse groove, posterior margin extending beyond anterior edges of coxae IV. Abdomen: oval ( Fig. 11 G) (DSL:0.90, DSW: 0.84), light setae scattered in margins of scuta, but not in the middle, inter-scutal membrane white, unmodified, with scattered setae, booklung covers (boc) small ( Fig. 11 F), postepigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified, posterior spiracles connected by groove. Abdomen scuto-pedicel region with paired curved to straight scutal ridge in addition with a second, upper, semicircular ridge ( Fig. 11 H). Spinnerets scutum incomplete ring. Male genitalia: Palp not strongly sclerotized, embolus-conductor complex darker than rest of palp, embolus (em) slightly shorter than embolic accessory appendage and blunt at the tip, embolic accessory appendage (ma) sharp and pointed, conductor (co) just below embolic accessory appendage (ma), without tooth like projection, cymbium not extending beyond bulb ( Fig. 12 A).

FEMALE: Body length 2.06, somatic morphology as male. Female genitalia: Dorsal view: receptaculum (re) rectangular shaped, but posteriorly end up with rounded margin, consist with groove like modifications dorsally, secretory sac (ssa) rectangular, posterior margin undulated, pore field of receptaculum (pof) concentrated at posterior part of receptaculum, not at secretory sac, globular appendix (gap) narrow, elongated, clearly longer than 0.5 times the length of receptaculum, with an anterior paddle like sclerite (psc) and a nail like process (na), with lateral sclerites, with highly undulated lateral apodemes (lap) originating from the posterior spiracles ( Fig. 12 B).

Distribution. (see Fig. 13 ) Sri Lanka, NIFS Arboretum (L 17), Riverston (L 9).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Xestaspis pophami sp. nov., male from Dambulla NIFS Arboretum. A. carapace dorsal view; B. same, lateral view; C. same, anterior view; D. same, posterior view; E. sternum, ventral view; F. same, ventral view; G. abdomen dorsal view; H. same, anterior view. Abreviations: boc, booklung covers; cps, carapace posterior lateral spikes; ctg, continuous transverse grove; usr, upper scutal ridge. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 12. Xestaspis pophami sp. nov. A. male left palp, prolateral view; B. female epigastric region, dorsal view. Abreviations: co, conductor; em, embolus; lap, lateral apodemes; gap, globular appendix; ma, mesal embolic accessory appendage; nail like process (na); paddle like sclerite (psc); pof, pore field of receptaculum; re, receptaculum; ssa, secretory sac. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Map of Sri Lanka showing known localities for Xestaspis species (except for X. kandy; see Fig. 6). See text for details.