Escaphiella ramirezi, Platnick & Dupérré, 2009

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2009, The American Goblin Spiders Of The New Genus Escaphiella (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (328), pp. 1-151 : 131-135

Escaphiella ramirezi , new species Figures 853–872 ; map 18

TYPE: Female holotype from Refugio Caa- Porá, 3 km W Deseado, Parque Provincial Uruguaí, Misiones, Argentina (Feb. 14–15, 1995; M. Ramírez), deposited in MACN (PBI_OON 27481) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is a patronym in honor of the collector of the holotype.

DIAGNOSIS: Male and females have not been collected together but seem to match in somatic features; the male embolus (figs. 860– 863) is clearly much shorter than in the males of E. ocoa ; the embolar base has a prolateral projection that is sharper than that found in the males of E. peckorum (fig. 862); the proximal portion of the palpal bulb is also less produced ventrally, and the palpal femur is smaller. Females can easily be distinguished by the rounded epigynal region, which is almost completely filled by a rounded anterior sclerite and which has two oblique, laterally directed apodemes at its sides (figs. 869, 871).

MALE (PBI_OON 14892): Total length 1.39 (figs. 853, 854, 857). Carapace pale orange, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides smooth, slightly granulate only on posterior margin of carapace; lateral margins without denticles (fig. 855). Eyes: ALE circular, PME circular; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching for less than half their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius (fig. 856). Sternum pale orange, without radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, surface smooth, microsculpture absent (fig. 858). Chelicerae, endites, and labium pale orange. Endites anteromedially modified, with small, spiniform tip. Abdomen cylindrical; book lung covers large, ovoid; pedicel tube medium, ribbed, scutopedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel; dorsal scutum pale orange, covering full length of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, middle surface smooth, sides smooth; postepigastric scutum pale orange, long, semicircular, sides smooth (fig. 859). Legs pale orange. Right and left palps symmetrical, proximal segments pale orange; embolus dark, with distinct base bearing distal short, acute prolongation (figs. 860– 863); femur enlarged; bulb yellow.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 27482): Total length 1.18 (fig. 870, 872). Eyes: PME squared; ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length (figs. 866, 867). Abdomen ovoid; dorsum soft portions white (figs. 864, 868). Epigynum with pair of oblique, laterally directed apodemes (figs. 865, 869, 871).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: ARGENTINA: Misiones: Palmital, 5 km W Yacuí, Parque Nacional Iguazú , Feb. 8–15, 1995 (M. Ramírez, MACN PBI_OON 27528), 1♀ ; Parque Nacional Iguazú , Oct. 23–26, 1995 (M. Ramírez, MACN PBI_OON 26878), 18 ; San Vicente (INTA), Jan. 1995, dead leaves (J. Faibovich, MACN PBI_OON 27482), 1♀. Tucumán: Arroyo India Muerta, road to Ticucho, June 25, 1995 (M. Ramírez, P. Goloboff, MACN PBI_OON 27529), 18 (badly smashed, only palps usable). URUGUAY: Artigas: Route 30, at highest point of ‘‘ Cuchilla’ ’ (low mountains), 31 ° 08925.50S, 55 ° 55911.50W, Dec. 13, 2005, elev. 344 m (F. Labarque, A. Ojanguren, C. Mattoni, MACN PBI_OON 14892), 18 .

DISTRIBUTION: If the sexes are correctly matched, widespread in northern Argentina and Uruguay (map 18).

Escaphiella argentina (Birabén) , new combination Figures 873–880 ; map 18

Scaphiella argentina Birabén, 1954: 208 , figs. 37– 43, 51 (female holotype from Profesor Salvador Mazza , Salta, Argentina, in MLP; examined).

DIAGNOSIS: Females can easily be recognized by their epigynal conformation, with a semicircular unsclerotized area situated anteriorly of the pentagonal atrium, which contains a posteriorly widened anterior sclerite (figs. 874, 879).

MALE: Unknown.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 27530): Total length 1.75. Carapace pale orange, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides granulate, surface sides of carapace clearly smoothing when reaching elevated portion; lateral margins without denticles (figs. 875, 877). Eyes: ALE circular, PME squared; ALE touching, ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length (fig. 878). Sternum pale orange, with radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, furrow smooth, surface smooth, microsculpture absent, most of sternal setae missing (fig. 880). Chelicerae, endites, and labium pale orange. Abdomen ovoid; dorsum soft portions white (fig. 873); book lung covers large, ovoid; pedicel tube medium, ribbed, scutopedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel; epigastric scutum with anterior margins smooth; postepigastric scutum pale orange, sides smooth (fig. 876; setae on epigastric and postepigastric areas missing). Legs pale orange (most legs missing, remnant legs with trichobothria missing). Epigynal atrium pentagonal (fig. 874, 879).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: ARGENTINA: Salta: Profesor Salvador Mazza, Nov. 21, 1951 (M. Birabén, MLP 0330, PBI_OON 27530), 1♀ (holotype).

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the type locality, near the Bolivian border in northern Salta, Argentina (map 18).

Figures

Figs. 853–863. Escaphiella ramirezi, new species, male. 853. Habitus, dorsal view. 854. Same, ventral view. 855. Carapace, dorsal view. 856. Habitus, anterior view. 857. Same, lateral view. 858. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 859. Abdomen, ventral view. 860. Left palp, dorsal view. 861. Same, prolateral view. 862. Same, ventral view. 863. Same, retrolateral view.

Figs. 864–872. Escaphiella ramirezi, new species, female. 864. Habitus, dorsal view. 865. Same, ventral view. 866. Carapace, dorsal view. 867. Habitus, anterior view. 868. Same, lateral view. 869. Abdomen, ventral view. 870. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 871. Epigynum, ventral view. 872. Carapace, lateral view.

Figs. 873–880. Escaphiella argentina (Birabén), female. 873. Habitus, dorsal view. 874. Same, ventral view. 875. Carapace, dorsal view. 876. Habitus, lateral view. 877. Carapace, lateral view. 878. Habitus, anterior view. 879. Epigynum, ventral view. 880. Cephalothorax, ventral view.