Mallinella truffles 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 truffles

description: Mallinella truffles sp. nov.
Figs 5, 6E, 6J, 7E,7J, 8E, 9I–J
Type material. Holotype ♂: SRI LANKA: Central Province: Kandy District, Loolecondera Estate, 07°08‘45‘‘N 80°41‘53‘‘E, 1480 m, 13 July 2010, leg. SP. Benjamin et al. (IFS_ZOD_43). Paratypes: 1♀, with same data as for holotype (IFS_ZOD_230).
Etymology. The new species is named after the chocolate ‘Truffles’. Used as a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. Mallinella truffles sp. nov. share features such as unbranched embolus, simple rostrated TA, longitudinal furrow of the epigyne with the members of the tuberculata group. Within tuberculata group, males of M. truffles sp. nov. are most similar to the males of M. brachiata as both share digitiform RTA, cymbial fold which is less than half the length of the cymbium, triangular apico prolateral process but can be separated from it by long narrow unbranched embolus. (cf. Dankittipakul et al. 2012: figs 147–151 and Figs 5F–H, 8E). Females are also most similar to the females of M. tuberculata as both share sub-rectangular epigynal plate, and deep anterior median depression, but can be separated from it by globular spermathecae (cf. Dankittipakul et al. 2012: figs 152–155 and Figs. 5C–D, 7E, 7J, 9I–9J).
Description. Male in alcohol (holotype; Fig. 5A). Body length 4.96; carapace 2.66 long, 2.20 wide; opisthosoma 2.30 long, 1.60 wide. Habitus as in Fig. 7A. Carapace ovoid, smooth, red-brown; fovea red-brown. Clypeus brown, 0.57 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.10, PME 0.12, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.10, AME–PME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.12, ALE–ALE 0.55, PME–PME 0.12, PME–PLE 0.25, PLE–PLE 0.76, ALE–PLE 0.06. MOA 0.44 long, front width 0.38, back width 0.41. Chelicerae 0.89 long, light brown, without teeth. Endites yellow. Labium triangular, yellow-brown, 0.20 long, 0.35 wide. Sternum yellowish, 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 yellowish, with proximal tubercle. Measurements of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 2.36 (0.83 + 0.40 + 0.44 + 0.69), I 6.10 (1.60 + 0.65 + 1.40 + 1.45+ 1.00), II 5.45 (1.45 + 0.65 + 1.10 + 1.25 + 1.00), III 6.00 (1.60 + 0.65 + 1.25 + 1.50 + 1.00), IV 8.00 (2.00 + 0.70+ 1.60 + 2.35 + 1.35). Leg formula: 4132. Opisthosoma oval; pattern on dorsum of opisthosoma provided large pale patches, roughly oval first pair of patches connected vertically with nearly round second pair, third and fourth pairs of nearly round patches connected medially and vertically with each other (Fig. 5A). Dorsum of opisthosoma with large ovoid scutum. Posterior ventral spines elongated, gradually tapering, with acute apices (Fig. 5A). Spinnerets pale yellow (Fig. 5E).
Palp (Figs 5F–H, 8E). VTA elevated subtriangular hump (Figs 5G, 8E); RTA digitiform, tapered towards blunt apex (Figs. 5G–H); Cymbium with deep retrolateral fold, less than half the length of cymbium (Fig. 5G), apicoprolateral process triangular with blunt apex, TT large triangular with pointed apex. Embolic base aligned in diagonally, directed posteriorly, with narrow membranous area (Fig. 5G). Embolus, long, narrow, unbranched, with blunt apex. Conductor triangular, pointed apex.
Female in alcohol (paratype; Fig. 5B); Body length 6.46; carapace 2.97 long, 2.01 wide; opisthosoma 3.49 long, 2.46 wide. Habitus and details as in male except for the following (Fig. 5B). Clypeus 0.34 high. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.11, PME 0.12, PLE 0.11; AME – AME 0.09, AME – PME 0.18, AME – ALE 0.13, ALE – ALE 0.60, PME – PME 0.13, PME – PLE 0.26, PLE – PLE 0.78, ALE – PLE 0.04. MOA 0.45 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.38. Labium 0.34 long, 0.47 wide. Sternum with shallow semi-circular pits, 1.25 long, 1.08 wide. Measurements of palp and legs: pedipalp (right) 2.25 (0.81 + 0.37 + 0.40 + 0.67) I 6.65 (1.80 + 0.75 + 1.60 + 1.55 + 0.95), II 6.60 (1.65 + 0.75 + 1.40 + 1.55 + 1.25), III 6.70 (1.70 + 0.75+ 1.50 + 1.75 + 1.00), IV 8.05 (1.95 + 0.75 + 1.75 + 2.25 + 1.35). Dorsum pattern of opisthosoma, indistinct, covered with thick black and white pubescence (Fig. 5B).
Genitalia (Figs 5C–D, 7E, 7J, 9I–9J). Epigynal plate wide, sub rectangular, with curved sclerotized epigynal furrows directed towards posteriorly (Figs 5C, 9I). Lateral borders sub-triangular, terminally acute (Figs 5C, 9I). Insemination ducts short, thick, distally diverging (Figs 5D, 7E, 7J, 9J), longer than spermathecal length. Spermathecae, globular in shape distally with coiled internal ducts (Fig. 9J). Fertilization ducts as in fig 7J.
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 110-112, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14734655