Mallinella moncheri 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 moncheri

description: Mallinella moncheri sp. nov.
Figs 3, 6C, 6H, 7C, 7H, 8C, 9E–F
Type material. Holotype ♂: SRI LANKA: Southern Province: Galle District, Kottawa Forest, 06°05’40’’N 80°19’25’’E, 152 m, 23 August 2023, leg. NG. Dayananda et al. (IFS_ZOD_231). Paratype: 1♀, leg. SP. Benjamin et al. with same data as for holotype (IFS_ZOD_103).
Other material examined. SRI LANKA: Southern province: Galle District, Hiyare Forest, 06°03’32’’N 80°19’15’’E, 121m, 2♀, 23 August 2023, leg. NG. Dayananda et al. (IFS_ZOD_232, 233).
Etymology. The new species is named after the chocolate ‘Mon Cheri’. Used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Mallinella moncheri sp. nov. s hare features such as triangular lateral border of the epigyne, V-shaped epigynal plate with the members of the annulipes-group. Within the annulipes-group, males of M. moncheri sp. nov. are most similar to the males of M. dhanahami sp. nov. as both share digitiform RTA, and black colour bands on either side of the carapace of both male and female but can be separated from it by slender, unbranched embolus (bifurcated embolus in M. dhanahami sp. nov.) and diagonally aligned emobolic base (aligned longitudinally in M. dhanahami sp. nov.) (Figs 1G, 8A; 3G, 8C). Females are also most similar to the females of M. dhanahami sp. nov. as both share V-shaped epigynal plate but can be separated from it by deeper anterior depression of the epigyne and triangular lateral borders of the epigyne (digitiform lateral borders in M. dhanahami sp. nov.). (Figs. 1C, 7A, 7F; 3C, 7C, 7H).
Description. Male in alcohol (holotype; Fig. 3A)). Body length 3.57; carapace 2.16 long, 1.49 wide; opisthosoma 1.41 long, 1.08 wide. Habitus as in Fig. 5A. Carapace ovoid, smooth and shiny, orange-brown, with two longitudinal lateral dark bands (Fig. 3A); fovea red-brown. Clypeus light brown, 0.44 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.10, PME 0.11, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.04, AME–PME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.45, PME– PME 0.08, PME–PLE 0.20, PLE–PLE 0.60, ALE–PLE 0.03. MOA 0.39 long, front width 0.30, back width 0.35. Chilum unipartite, trapezoid. Chelicerae 0.79 long, light brown, without teeth. Endites yellow. Labium triangular, yellow-brown, 0.20 long, 0.35 wide. Sternum yellow, furnished with sparse black setae, 0.89 long, 0.74 wide. Lateral margins of sternum with small semi-circular pits in front of each coxa of third and fourth pair of legs. Legs yellow-brown, except pale yellowish coxae, proximal tubercle on anterior femora. Measurement of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 1.93 (0.70 + 0.33 + 0.35+0.55), I 4.62 (1. 25 + 0.52 + 1.20 + 0.75+ 0.90), II 4.35 (1.20 + 0.50 + 0.80 + 0.95 + 0.90), III 4.60 (1.20 + 0.50 + 0.90 + 1.15 + 0.85), IV 6.21 (1.55 + 0.51+ 1.35 + 1.85 + 0.95). Leg formula: 4132. Opisthosoma oval, covered with black short setae, Dorsum of opisthosoma dark sepia, with lanceolate scutum. Pattern on dorsum of opisthosoma with anterior paired patch followed by medially connected large transverse patches (Fig. 3A). Posterior ventral spines cylindrical, with blunt apices (Fig. 3E). Spinnerets pale yellow (Fig. 3E).
Palp (Figs 3F–H, 8C). VTA moderately developed, subtriangular, with curved apex (Fig. 8C). RTA digitiform in retrolateral view, broad at base, gradually tapered towards acute apex (Fig. 3H). Cymbial fold deep, more than half the length of the cymbium. Apicoprolateral process of TA with, sharply pointed, elongated, slender flange, directed posteromesad (Figs 3G, 8C). Tegulum with large, well developed tegular tubercle (Fig. 8C). Basoprolateral fold of TA, subtriangular (Fig. 8C). Embolic base aligned diagonally; membranous area of embolic base narrow. Embolus slender, unbranched, elongated, with blunt apex (Figs 3G, 8C). Tegular spine absent. Conductor triangular, apex blunt.
Female in alcohol (paratype; Fig. 3B). Body length 4.51; carapace 2.41 long, 1.70 wide; opisthosoma 2.10 long, 1.62 wide. Habitus and details as in male except for the following (Fig. 5B). Clypeus 0.46 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.10, PME 0.11, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.07, AME–PME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.53, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.18, PLE–PLE 0.68, ALE–PLE 0.06. MOA 0.42 long, front width 0.32, back width 0.35. Chelicerae 0.81 long, Labium 0.30 long, 0.44 wide. Sternum: 1.00 long, 0.96 wide. Measurements of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 1.68 (0.63 + 0.27 + 0.29 + 0.49), I 6.00 (1.50 + 0.50 + 1.45 + 1.30 + 1.25), II 5.75 (1.35 + 0.45 + 1.30 + 1.45 + 1.20), III 5.80 (1.35 + 0.50+ 1.20 + 1.55 + 1.20), IV 7.85 (1.75 + 0.50 + 1.85 + 2.25 + 1.50). Dorsum of pear-shaped opisthosoma, covered with dense black setae. Dorsal scutum on opisthosoma absent (Fig. 3B). Pattern on dorsum of opisthosoma with a pair of anterior small oblique patches, followed by numerous pale spots (Fig. 3B).
Genitalia (Figs 3C–D, 7C, 7H, 9E–F). Epigynal plate, V-shaped, with deep anterior median invagination. Lateral borders triangular, terminally blunt. Epigynal furrow highly sclerotized (Figs 3C, 7C, 9E). Insemination ducts longer than spermathecal length. Spermathecae globular in shape. Fertilization ducts as in Fig. 7H.
Distribution. Known only from the collecting localities (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 106-108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14734655