A preliminary morphological study on the diversity of the spider genus Mallinella (Zodariidae) in Sri Lanka
| dc.contributor.author | Dayananda, D. N. G. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Benjamin, S. P. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-29T08:06:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-29T08:06:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-11-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The zodariid genus Mallinella Strand, 1906, is represented by 228 species globally, including a single species, Mallinella redimita, from Sri Lanka, which is indicative of underestimated species diversity. This study aims to identify and describe species of Mallinella on the island based on their morphology. Fieldwork was conducted from 2023 to 2024 in 20 localities across 12 districts, covering all climatic zones of Sri Lanka. All spiders were collected from litter by sieving and hand collection. The collected spider specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol, identified, photographed, and illustrated using Olympus SZX7, Leica M205C, and Leica DM3000 microscopes using standard methodology. A total of 34 males and 33 females were collected. Five new species of Mallinella were recognized based on the differences in their genital morphology (Provisionally named Mallinella sp. A, Mallinella sp. B, Mallinella sp. C, Mallinella sp. D, and Mallinella sp. E). Mallinella sp. A is widespread across Central, Eastern, Northern, North Central, and North Western provinces, whereas Mallinella sp. B was specifically recorded from Galle District. Mallinella sp. C, Mallinella sp. D, and Mallinella sp. E were reported from Kandy, Badulla, and Rathnapura Districts, respectively, suggesting localized distributions for these species. The five new species belong to three currently recognized species groups of Mallinella, namely redimita (Mallinella sp. A), annulipes (Mallinella sp. B, Mallinella sp. D, and Mallinella sp. E), and fasciata (Mallinella sp. C). All five species of Mallinella are new to science and will be formally described in a future publication. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Financial assistance from the National Institute of Fundamental Studies is gratefully acknowledged. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Proceedings of the Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress -2024, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, P. 107 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 3051-4622 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.lib.pdn.ac.lk/handle/20.500.14444/2786 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | Volume 11 | |
| dc.subject | Diversity | |
| dc.subject | Morphology | |
| dc.subject | Spiders | |
| dc.subject | Sri Lanka | |
| dc.subject | Zodariids | |
| dc.title | A preliminary morphological study on the diversity of the spider genus Mallinella (Zodariidae) in Sri Lanka | |
| dc.type | Article |