Xestaspis nuwaraeliya Ranasinghe & Benjamin, 2016, sp. nov.

Xestaspis nuwaraeliya sp. nov.

(Figs. 7–8)

Type material. Holotype 1 ♂ (IFS_Oon_046): Sri Lanka: Central Province, Nuwara Eliya District, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, 22 February 2007, leg. S. P. Benjamin and Z. Jaleel. 1 ♀ paratype (IFS_ Oon_123), Nuwara Eliya, 0 6°46’N 80°36’ E, 14 February 2012, leg. S. P. Benjamin and N. Athukorala.

Other material examined. 1 ♀ (IFS_Oon_255), Sri Lanka: Central Province, Nuwara Eliya District, Hakgala SNR, 6°55’52” N 80°48’46” E, 20 January 2015, N. Athukorala et al.

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis. X. nuwaraeliya sp. nov. can be recognized by the black colored granulations on the sides of the carapace (Figs. 7 A, D). Further, males are also recognized by the bifurcated embolus (Fig. 8 A). Female can be recognized by the triangular shaped receptaculum (Fig. 8 B).

Description. Description based on one male and two females.

MALE: Body Length: 2.42, uniformly red brown. Carapace: ovoid in dorsal view (Fig. 7 A), gradually narrowes anteriorly 0.5 times its maximum width (Prosoma: length: 0.84, width: 0.34), pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view (Fig. 7 B), top surface smooth, sides granulated (visible as black colored line-like markings), posterolateral spikes absence (Fig. 7 A), lateral margin straight in lateral view (Fig. 7 B), posterior margin rounded (Fig. 7 D). Clypeus: margin unmodified (Fig. 7 C), chelicera inner margin with enlarged setae (ceh) not prominent as in X. pophami sp. nov. Eyes: six, well developed, all oval, subequal, ALE separated from their each other by their radius, posterior median eyes almost touching, separated from edge of carapace by about their radius. Sternum: longer than wide (length: 0.70, width: 0.60), surface smooth, few hairs present, well pronounced narrowed channel-like pits between coxa I–II, II–III and III–IV, symmetrical in both sides, distance between coxae equal, anterior margin with dark continuous transverse groove (ctg), posterior margin extending beyond anterior edges of coxae IV (Fig. 7 E). Abdomen: oval (Fig. 7 G), elongated (length:1.44, width: 0.98), scuta surface with scattered light setae, margins of scuta, but not in the middle, inter-scutal membrane with less scattered setae, booklung covers quite large, elliptical, slightly elevated from the surface (Fig. 7 F). Abdomen scuto-pedicel region with almost contiguous suprapedicelar main ridge and with second upper downwards curved scutal ridge (Fig. 7 H) as in Gamasomorpha taprobania Simon 1893 (fig. 33F in Eichenberger et al. 2012). Spinnerets scutum incomplete ring, with hairs. Male genitalia: Palp not strongly sclerotized, embolic accessory appendage (ma) sharp and pointed, embolus (em) slightly longer than embolic accessory appendage (ma), bifurcated, curved inside at midpoint, conductor shorter than embolus (em) and embolic accessory appendage (ma), without a tooth like projection, cymbium extends beyond bulb (Fig. 8 A).

FEMALE: Body length: 2.74, somatic morphology as male, except for, continuous transverse groove (ctg) lighter than male. Female genitalia: Dorsal view: receptaculum (re) triangular shaped, posterior with blunt pointed end, secretory sac (ssa) oval and elongated but not clearly visible, globular appendix (gap) narrow, elongated, clearly more than 0.5 times the length of receptaculum, pore field of receptaculum (pof) distributed widely along the globular appendix, with an anterior paddle like sclerite (psc) and a nail like process (na), lateral sclerites functioning as muscle attachments, lateral apodemes (lap) originating from the posterior spiracles (Fig. 8 B).

Distribution. (see Fig. 13) Sri Lanka, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary (L 53), Nuwara Eliya town (L 54), Hakgala SNR (L 55).