Speocera ankalana 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 : 3

Speocera ankalana Li & Li sp. nov. ( Figs 3–4 , 55B )

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( IZCAS), Madagascar, Antsiranana Province, Ambilobe District, Ankalana National Park (12º57.010′S, 49º07.021′E), elev. 140 m, 16.XII.2016, leg. H. Zhao. Paratype 1♀ ( IZCAS), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality; noun.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. transleuser Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 , but males can be distinguished by the laterally strongly excavated chelicerae ( Fig. 55B ) and the elliptical palpal bulb ( Figs 3A–B ), and the females by the very short, straight afferent spermathecae ( Fig. 4A ). S. transleuser males have antero-posteriorly compressed chelicerae and a nearly flattened palpal bulb, and females have long, curved afferent spermathecae (Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995: figs 257– 260).

Description. Male. Total length 0.96; carapace length 0.47; carapace width 0.41; abdomen length 0.45; abdomen width 0.28. Prosoma: carapace pyriform, narrowing gradually anteriorly, anterior margin smoothly curved in dorsal view; light yellow, suffused with purplish pattern ( Fig. 4C ); pars cephalica flat; fovea not visible. Sternum light yellow, suffused with purplish color, as long as wide. Endites light yellow suffused with purplish tinge; with serrula; labium light yellow suffused with purplish tinge. Clypeus nearly vertical; short. Chelicerae light yellow; external margin strongly excavated; promargin with a series of six teeth reaching the lamina; retromargin with two very small denticles ( Fig. 55B ). Eyes: six contiguous eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, PME smallest, PLE largest ( Fig. 4C ). Opisthosoma oval; purplish. Legs missing. Genitalia ( Fig. 3 ). Palpal femur long; palpal tibia elongated, about 1.6 times as long as cymbium ( Figs 3A–B ). Cymbium conical, without prolateral extension. Bulb elliptical, much longer than wide. Embolus short, black, associated sclerites beltlike; sperm duct initially medium sized, becoming very narrow distally ( Fig. 3D ).

Female. Total length 1.23; carapace length 0.48; carapace width 0.40; abdomen length 0.70; abdomen width 0.56. Similar to male in color and general features ( Figs 4C–D ) but larger. Chelicerae unmodified. Legs light yellow; I, II, IV missing; III 1.46 (0.41, 0.14, 0.38, 0.29, 0.23). Genitalia. Internal genitalia with afferent spermathecae short, straight, not extending past the sides of the abdomen; tip of the afferent spermathecae question mark shaped ( Fig. 4B ); spermathecae oval ( Fig. 4A ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 3. Speocera ankalana 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 4. Speocera ankalana Li & Li sp. nov. A, B, D, E. Paratype, female. C. Holotype, male.A. Genitalia, dorsal view. B. Genitalia, ventral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Habitus, dorsal view. E. Habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: A–B=0.05mm; C–E=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.