Mallinella Strand 1906
Creators: name: Dayananda, Naruwan
name: Benjamin, Suresh P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Mallinella

description: Genus Mallinella Strand, 1906
Diagnosis. The genus is characterised by the presence of a single row of ventral spines situated in front of the spinnerets, the palpal tibia with one or three apophyses, the conductor consisting of several parts, the embolic base connected to a tegulum via a thin membrane, the epigyne with a deep anterior median incision and the short and diverging copulatory ducts (Dankittipakul et al. 2012).
Type species. Mallinella maculata Strand, 1906, by monotypy.
Distribution. Africa, Asia, Central and South America (World Spider Catalog 2024)
Key to the species of Mallinella known from Sri Lanka (males)
1. PVS tear-shaped; narrowed at base (Fig. 2E)............................................................... 2
- PVS cylindrical or elongated gradually; broad at base (Figs 1E, 3E, 4E, 5E)...................................... 3
2. MR and LR of embolus sharply pointed at apex................................... Mallinella redimita (Simon, 1905)
- MR and LR blunt at apex (Figs 2G, 8B)............................................. Mallinella milkyway sp. nov.
3. Embolus branched (Figs 1F–G, 2F–G, 4F–G, 8A–B, 8D)..................................................... 4
- Embolus unbranched (Figs 3F–G, 5F–G, 8C, 8E)........................................................... 5
4. TA hook-shaped; VTA beak-shaped; TS indistinct (Figs 1F–H, 8A)..................... Mallinella dhanahami sp. nov.
- TA elongated; VTA modified as a triangular hump; sharp TS present (Figs 4F–H, 8D)........... Mallinella oreo sp. nov.
5. TT large well developed; TS indistinct; BPF subtriangular (Figs 3F–H, 8C)................. Mallinella moncheri sp. nov.
- TT indistinct; TS triangular; BPF indistinct (Figs 5F–H, 8E)............................... Mallinella truffles sp. nov.
Key to the species of Mallinella known from Sri Lanka (females)
1. PVS tear-shaped, narrowed at base (Fig. 2E).................................................................2
- PVS cylindrical or elongated gradually, broad at base (Figs 1E, 3E, 4E, 5E)....................................... 3
2. Anterior median depression present, globular spermathecae (Figs 2C–D, 7B–G, 9C–D)...... Mallinella milkyway sp. nov.
- Anterior median depression absent, truncated spermathecae.......................... Mallinella redimita (Simon, 1905)
3. V- shaped EP present (Figs 1C, 3C, 9A, 9E)................................................................ 4
- Semi-circular or sub-rectangular EP present (Figs 2C, 4C, 5C, 9A, 9E, 9G, 9I).................................... 5
4. Digitiform LB, no anterior median depression of epigyne, highly sclerotized EF (1C, 9A)... Mallinella dhanahami sp. nov.
- Triangular LB, deep median depression of epigyne, weakly sclerotized EF (3C, 9E)......... Mallinella moncheri sp. nov.
5. Semi-circular EP, small median depression of epigyne, highly sclerotized EF (4C, 9G)............ Mallinella oreo sp. nov.
- Sub-rectangular EP, no median depression of epigyne, weakly sclerotized EF (5C, 9I)......... Mallinella truffles sp. nov.
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 page 101, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14734655