Speocera ballarini Li & Li, 2019

Tong, Yanfeng, Li, Fengyuan, Song, Yang, Chen, Haifeng & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Thirty-two new species of the genus Speocera Berland, 1914 (Araneae: Ochyroceratidae) from China, Madagascar and Southeast Asia, Zoological Systematics 44 (1), pp. 1-75 : 4

Speocera ballarini Li & Li sp. nov. ( Figs 8–9 , 55D )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), Philippines, Luzon Island, Tarlac Province, Tarlac City, near Monasterio de Tarlac. (15º26.900′N, 120º25.671′E), elev. 131 m, 20.V.2015, leg. F. Ballarin & Y. Li.

Etymology. The specific name is taken after one of the collectors, Dr. Francesco Ballarin; name in genitive case.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. suratthaniensis Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 but can be distinguished by the greatly enlarged palpal tibia, the spherical palp and the wide embolus ( Figs 8A–B ). S. suratthaniensis males have a slightly enlarged palpal tibia, a flattened palp and narrow embolus (Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995: fig. 292).

Description. Male. Total length 0.90; carapace length 0.45; carapace width 0.38; abdomen length 0.43; abdomen width 0.30. Prosoma: carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly; light yellow, suffused with purplish pattern ( Fig. 9A ); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, suffused with purplish color, as long as wide ( Fig. 9B ). Endites light yellow with serrula; labium light yellow. Clypeus nearly vertical; short. Chelicerae light yellow, long, laterally slightly excavated; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin with two small denticles ( Fig. 55D ). Eyes: six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, PME smallest, ALE and PLE nearly subequal ( Fig. 9A ). Opisthosoma oval; purplish ( Fig. 9B ). Legs light yellow; leg lengths I 1.37 (0.37, 0.13, 0.33, 0.31, 0.23); II 1.82 (0.48, 0.17, 0.55, 0.36, 0.26); III, IV missing. Genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Palpal femur long; palpal tibia greatly enlarged basally, as long as cymbium ( Figs 8A–B ). Cymbium conical, with long prolateral extension basally ( Fig. 8A ). Bulb spherical, as long as wide. Embolus long, wide, dark and basally with a short associated sclerite; sperm duct initially wide, gradually narrowing distally ( Fig. 8D ).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 8. Speocera ballarini Li & Li sp. nov., holotype, male. A. Left palp, prolateral view. B. Left palp, retrolateral view. C. Left palp, dorsal view. D. Left palp, retrolateral view, cleared in lactic acid. Scale bars=0.05 mm.

Figure 9. Speocera ballarini Li & Li sp. nov., holotype, male. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars=0.30mm.

Figure 55. Male chelicerae of Speocera spp.A–E, G–H.Anterior view. F, I. Lateral view. A. S. amber Li & Li sp. nov. B. S. ankalana Li & Li sp. nov. C. S. bachma Li & Li sp. nov. D. S. ballarini Li & Li sp. nov. E–F. S. bawangling Li & Li sp. nov. G. S. bukittinggi Li & Li sp. nov. H–I. S. cucphuong Li & Li sp. nov. Scale bars=0.1mm.