Hersilia thailandica Dankittipakul & Singtripop, 2011, sp. n.
Creators: name: Pakawin Dankittipakul
name: Tippawan Singtripop
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Hersiliidae
Hersilia
Hersilia thailandica

description: Hersilia thailandica sp. n.
Figs 20-24
HOLOTYPE: MHNG-PDC-65465444442244741976-109; Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Mae Rim District, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, 600- 700 m, on a tree trunk in degraded forest in front of museum building; 1 male; 6.- 13.10.2006; leg. P. Dankittipakul.
PARATYPES: MHNG-PDC-12546554574875655; same data as for holotype; 3 males.
ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is an adjective (“thailandicus, -a, -um”) and refers to the presence of this species in Thailand.
DIAGNOSIS: Hersilia thailandica sp. n. belongs to the pectinata -group, which is easily recognized by the male palpal patella being short, and the palpal tibia with an elevated dorsal projection carrying a group of long erect spines (Figs 21-23). The new species is most similar to H. pectinata Thorell, 1895 from Burma in the similar male palp with an enlarged, ovoid bulbus, an elongated, curved embolus thickening and a Tshaped TA. Hersilia thailandica sp. n. can be distinguished from H. pectinata by: seven large erected spines on palpal tibia directed anteriad (Figs 21, 23) instead of laterad (almost perpendicular to the axis of the tibia in H. pectinata); the embolus terminally abruptly bending distad, gradually narrowing towards its bluntly pointed apex (Figs 20, 22); the ovoid bulbus with enlarged tubular TA (Fig. 22) instead of being a reniform plate.
DESCRIPTION
Male holotype: Prosoma 2.8 long, 2.6 wide; opisthosoma 4.4 long, 2.8 wide. PLS 7.3 long, bS 1.1 long, tS 6.2 long.
Prosoma: Prosoma pear-shaped, posteriorly distinctly disc-shaped; ocular region relatively low; clypeus slightly shorter than ocular region; chelicerae elongated, twice as long as wide; sternum triangular, anterior margin with shallow median incision.
Eye size and interdistances: Eyes almost subequal; AME slightly larger than PME; ALE = PLE <AME; eye ratio: 1.0: 0.82: 0.84: 0.96. AME = 1.0; AME-AME = 0.78; AME-ALE = 0.98; PME = 1.0; PME-PME = 0.68; PME-PLE = 0.72.
Opisthosoma: Opisthosoma longer than wide, widest behind the middle, anterior margin almost straight, posteriorly with triangular anal tubercle; dorsum with four pairs of large circular DMP, second pair slightly larger, others subequal; VMP numerous, forming parallel longitudinal lines but distance distinctly narrower posteriorly.
Spinnerets: PLS elongated, twice as long as opisthosoma; other spinnerets not visible in dorsal view.
FIGS 20-21
Leg measurements: I, 20.24 (4.96, 1.92, 5.02, 7.58, 0.76); II, 20.7 (5.42, 0.98, 5.44, 7.98, 0.88), III, 4.52 (1.46, 0.42, 0.98, 1.12, 0.54), IV 11.7 (4.46, 0.8, 2.58, 3.08, 0.78).
Male palp (Figs 20-24): Tibia short, dorsally with elevated projection carrying seven long erect spines directed anteriad (Fig. 23). Cymbium with three stout apical spines. Bulbus large, ovoid; lateral borders rounded. Embolus broad, heavily pigmented, without accessory process, originating postero-medially, curving in anticlockwise direction (on left palp), terminally abruptly bending distad, gradually narrowing towards it bluntly pointed apex (Figs 20, 22). TA developed as a large elongated prong, its base broad, with a retro-basal ridge, narrowing to form a tubular stalk and abruptly bending mesad (Figs 20, 22), apex spoon-shaped, curling inwards (Fig. 24).
FIGS 22-24
Female: Unknown.
DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the type locality in Chiang Mai Province (Fig. 32).
description: Published as part of Pakawin Dankittipakul & Tippawan Singtripop, 2011, The spider genus Hersilia in Thailand, with descriptions of two new species (Araneae, Hersiliidae), pp. 207-221 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (2) on pages 216-218, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.154560