Orchestina manicata Simon, 1893

Ranasinghe, Sasanka & Benjamin, Suresh P., 2025, Phylogenetic position and redescription of Orchestina manicata Simon, 1893 (Araneae: Oonopidae), Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 11 (1), pp. 117-127 : 121-123

Orchestina manicata Simon, 1893

Orchestina manicata Simon, 1893b:248 . Lectotypes ♂, ♀. Sri Lanka: Kandy, Galle, Maturata, Nuwara-Eliya. – Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France (MNHN); Orchestina manicata Dalmas, 1916:228 , fig 20.

Material examined. 1♀ ( IFS _ Oon _002): Sri Lanka, Central Province, Kandy District, Deltota , Loolcondera , 07°08'5"N, 80°41'53"E, 1480 m, 11-V-2010, leg. S. Batuwita, N Athukorala ; 1♂ ( IFS _ Oon _020): Loolcondera , 07°08 ’ 45"N, 80°41 ’ 53"E, 1480 m, 13-VII-2010, leg. S.P. Benjamin, S. Batuwita et al.; 1♀ ( IFS _ Oon _039): 30-VI-2011, leg. S.P. Benjamin ; 1♀ ( IFS _ Oon _040): 30-V-2011, leg. S.P. Benjamin ; 1♀ ( IFS _ Oon _029): Corbett's Gap, Knuckles range, 07°21'40"N, 80°50'00"E, 1360 m, 12-VIII-2010, leg. S.P. Benjamin, S. Batuwita ; 2♂♂, 6♀♀ ( IFS _ Oon _074–075, 124–129): Nuwara Eliya District, Upcot , 06°046'N, 80°036'E, 14-II-2012, leg. S.P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala ; 1♀ ( IFS _ Oon _145): Uva Province, Badulla District, Bandarawela , 6°50'59.5"N, 81°00'48.1"E, 1042 m, 31-XII-2011, leg. S.P. Benjamin et al.; 1♂, 2♀♀ ( IFS _ Oon _066–068): Ohiya , 06°50'32"N, 80°53'05"E, 26-V-2012, leg. S.P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala ; 1♂, 8♀♀ ( IFS _ Oon _195–202, 206, Namunukulla peak, along Passara / Ella Road , 6°52'N 81°7'E, 1337 m, 22-I-2014, leg. S.P. Benjamin, N. Athukorala.

Diagnosis. Based on illustrations given in Dalmas (1916) the four Sri Lankan species differ as follows: the embolus is tapered in both O. dentifera and O. pilifera ( Dalmas, 1916:figs 21, 22). However, the latter has a swollen, rounded palpal tibia ( Dalmas, 1916:fig. 21). In females of O. tubifera the abdomen is a tube-like extension (hence its specific name; male unknown); see Dalmas (1916:fig. 26). In O. manicata the embolus has a triangular bifid tip ( Fig. 3), palpal tibia is swollen, oval and the abdomen in males and females is rounded ( Figs 3E, 3F). Further, in having a pyriform bulb, males of O. manicata are similar to those of O. communis and O. cornuta , but differ by having triangular bifid extensions in the embolus ( Fig. 3D). The palpal tibia is twice as wide as femur, similar to that of O. saaristoi , but differs by the pyiform enlarged bulb. In having a bell-shaped pattern in the genital area, the females are similar to those of O. saaristoi , but differ by the stout, tube-shaped anterior uterine sclerite (AUS) with lateral protrusions (Pr) ( Fig. 4B).

Re-description. Male. Total length 1.04. Carapace L 0.44, W 0.36. Cephalothorax: Carapace light yellow, oval in dorsal view, pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view, anteriorly narrowed to 0.49 times at its maximum width or less, non-marginal pars cephalica setae absent at lateral side ( Fig. 3A). Clypeus sloping forward in lateral view, very narrow in dorsal view. Eyes arrangement H-shaped, PMEs largest, squared; ALE-PLE touching, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius ( Fig. 3C). Sternum longer than wide, light-yellow, anterior margins curved, posterior margin extending posteriorly beyond anterior edges of coxae IV as single extension ( Fig. 3D). Mouthparts: Chelicerae, endites and labium yellow. Chelicerae straight; retromargin with row of teeth. Labium anterior margin not indented at middle, spade-shaped, fused to sternum; slightly sclerotized, with strongly procurved, sclerotized posterior and lateral margins; anterior margin triangular ending in narrow with few setae. Endite serrula present in single row, anteromedian tip with one strong projection, much more heavily sclerotized than sternum. Legs: yellow; patella plus tibia I nearly as long as carapace. Legs aspinose. Length of leg segment: leg I: 1.32 (0.40, 0.08, 0.36, 0.28, 0.20); leg II: 1.32 (0.36, 0.08, 0.40, 0.32, 0.16). leg III: 1.06 (0.30, 0.06, 0.20, 0.30, 0.20); leg IV: 1.10 (0.30, 0.10, 0.28, 0.26, 0.16). Femur IV enlarged compared to femora of other legs. Abdomen: L 0.50, W 0.44, globular; dorsum soft portions pale white ( Fig. 3E). Book lung covers small. Male palp as in Figure 4A; proximal segments pale yellow; femur not narrowed at base; patella attached to tibia basally; tibia 3 times as wide as femur; cymbium yellow, oval, tapered towards tip, setae densest on prolateral face; bulb pale-yellow, stout basally, pyriform with distal part leading to embolus gradually narrowed; embolus sclerotized, with triangular bifid extensions.

Female. Total length 1.28. Carapace L 0.58, W 0.40. Other somatic characters as in males. Legs: Leg I: Total length 0.88. 0.28, 0.06, 0.12, 0.26, 0.16. Leg II: not measured. Leg III: Total length 1.20. 0.40, 0.10, 0.20, 0.32, Leg IV: Total length: 1.44. 0.44, 0.12, 0.32, 0.36, 0.20. Abdomen: L 0.70, W 0.68. Epigyne as in Figure 4B ventrally lightly sclerotized, ARe a bell-shaped structure, encloses AUS; dorsally ARe oval, without sclerotized pockets; AUS with lateral protrusions (Pr) well-developed, AUS stout, tubular, dark

anteriorly; Pr slightly curving laterally, close to apex of AUS; posterior plate (Pp) small, semicircular, anteriorly concave; dorsolateral extensions, sclerotized pockets, posterior receptacle absent ( Fig. 4B).

Distribution. In Sri Lanka, O. manicata is known from the island’s central montane wet evergreen forests: Badulla (663 m), Corbet’s Gap (1360 m), Loolcondura (1480 m), Namunukula peak (1330 m), Nuwara Eliya (1887 m), Ohiya (1280 m) and Upcot (1199 m) ( Fig. 5). Also reported from Vietnam ( Dalmas, 1916). However, this conclusion was based on finding two female specimens from Vietnam in Simon’s collection ( Dalmas 1916). Females are difficult to be unambiguously assigned to species without studying their internal genitalia. Thus, we are doubtful of this record.

Remarks. It is noted that they are very common in the canopy of forest and savannah trees and tend to be very abundant in the crowns of trees ( Fannes et al., 2008; Izquierdo & Ramírez, 2017).