Mallinella oreo Dayananda & Benjamin, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dayananda, Naruwan
name: Benjamin, Suresh P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Mallinella
Mallinella oreo

description: Mallinella oreo sp. nov.
Figs 4, 6D, 6I, 7D, 7I, 8D, 9G–H
Type material. Holotype ♂: SRI LANKA: Uva Province: Badulla District, Namunukula Peak, along Passara— Ella Road, 06 º 52’ N, 81 º 07’ E, 2000 m, 23 January 2014, leg. SP. Benjamin et al. (IFS_ZOD_137). Paratype: 1♀, with same data as for holotype (IFS_ZOD_138).
Etymology. The new species is named after the chocolate ‘Oreo’. Used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Mallinella oreo sp. nov. s hares the feature of inwardly projected digitiform lateral borders of the epigyne with the members of the annulipes-group. Within the annulipes-group, males of M. oreo sp. nov. are most similar to the males of M. moncheri sp. nov. as both share digitiform RTA, less prominent cymbial fold which is less than half the length of the cymbium, and diagonally aligned embolic base but can be separated from it by the triangular hump like VTA (moderately developed with curved apex in M. moncheri sp. nov.), and subterminally bifurcated embolus (slender unbranched in M. moncheri sp. nov.) (Figs 3G, 8C; 4G, 8D) Females are also most similar to the females of M. moncheri sp. nov. as both share terminally blunt digitiform lateral borders of the epigyne but can be separated from it by semi-circular shaped epigynal plate (V-shaped in M. moncheri sp. nov.) and small anterior median depression of the epigyne (deep median depression in M. moncheri sp. nov.) (Figs 3C, 9E; 4C, 9G).
Description. Male in alcohol (holotype; Fig. 4A). Body length 4.41; carapace 2.42 long, 1.83 wide; opisthosoma 1.99 long, 1.45 wide. Habitus as in Fig. 4A. Carapace ovoid, smooth, shiny, dark brown anteriorly; fovea red brown. Clypeus brown, 0.38 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.11, PME 0.13, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.07, AME–PME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.50, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.18, PLE–PLE 0.68, ALE– PLE 0.04. MOA 0.42 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.39. Chilum unipartite, trapezoid. Chelicerae 0.86 long, light brown, without teeth. Endites yellow. Labium triangular, yellow-brown, 0.20 long, 0.35 wide. Sternum yellow, furnished with sparse black setae, 1.05 long, 0.96 wide. Lateral margins of sternum with small semi-circular pits in front of each coxa of third and fourth pair of legs. Legs yellowish, with proximal tubercle on anterior femora. Measurements of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 2.20 (0.88 + 0.40 + 0.42 + 0.50) I 5.51 (1. 51 + 0.55 + 1.15 + 1.35+ 0.95), II 5.30 (1.50 + 0.55 + 1.05 + 1.25 + 0.95), III 5.39 (1.35 + 0.54 + 1.10 + 1.50 + 0.90), IV 6.95 (1.60 + 0.50+ 1.65 + 2.10 + 1.10). Leg formula: 4132. Opisthosoma oval; dorsum dark sepia (Fig.4A). Pattern on dorsum of opisthosoma provided with large pale patches, first and second pairs of patches fused to form reniform patches, followed by third and fourth pairs of oblong patches, fifth pair of patches connected vertically with fourth pair. Dorsum of opisthosoma with lanceolate scutum. Posterior ventral spines moderate in length, gradually tapering, with blunt apices (Fig. 4E). Spinnerets yellow (Fig. 4E).
Palp (Figs 4F–H, 8D). VTA triangular hump (Fig. 4G); RTA digitiform, tapered towards blunt apex (Figs 4G– H, 8D), Cymbial fold less prominent, less than half the length of cymbium (Fig. 4G). TA elongated, Apicoprolateral fold of TA triangular, apicoprolateral process of TA triangular, broad at base, with blunt apex, directed posteromesad (Fig. 8D). Apicoretrolateral fold of TA triangular, with blunt apex. Mesoprolateral fold of TA, short, triangular (Fig. 8D). Baso-prolateral fold of TA large, directed posteriad. Tegular spine large, prolaterally directed (Fig. 8D). Embolic base aligned diagonally, directed posteriorly, with broad membranous area (Fig. 4G). Embolus branched sub-terminally, with long lateral ramus. Both rami with blunt apices. (Fig. 4G, 8D). Embolus elongated with blunt apex.
Female in alcohol (paratype; Fig. 4B). Body length 5.22; carapace 2.46 long, 1.67 wide; opisthosoma 2.76 long, 2.03 wide. Habitus and details as in male except for the following (Fig. 4B). Clypeus 0.34 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.09, PME 0.11, PLE 0.09; AME – AME 0.06, AME – PME 0.15, AME – ALE 0.11, ALE – ALE 0.50, PME – PME 0.10, PME – PLE 0.19, PLE – PLE 0.64, ALE – PLE 0.06. MOA 0.39 long, front width 0.28, back width 0.32. Chelicerae 0.83 long Labium 0.30 long, 0.44 wide. Sternum yellow with shallow semi-circular pits, 1.06 long, 1.04 wide. Legs with proximal tubercle on anterior femora (Fig. 6D). Measurements of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 1.98 (0.77 + 0.37 + 0.38 + 0.46), I 5.00 (1.40 + 0.45 + 1.20 + 1.00 + 0.95), II 4.85 (1.30 + 0.45 + 1.25 + 0.95 + 0.90), III 4.95 (1.35 + 0.45+ 1.15 + 1.10 + 0.90), IV 6.75 (1.65 + 0.50 + 1.50 + 2.00 + 1.10). Leg formula: 4132.
Genitalia (Figs 4C–D, 7D, 7I, 9G–H). Epigynal plate, semi-circular, small median depression. Lateral borders digitiform, terminally blunt (Fig. 9G). Both epigynal plate and furrow highly sclerotized (Figs 4C, 9G). Insemination ducts long, thick, sclerotized, distally diverging (Figs 4D, 7D, 7I, 9H.). Insemination ducts longer than spermathecal length. Spermathecae round, fertilization ducts as in Fig. I.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 12).
description: Published as part of Dayananda, Naruwan & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2025, Five new species of the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Sri Lanka, pp. 100-118 in Zootaxa 5570 (1) on pages 108-110, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14734655