Escaphiella hesperoides, 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 : 103-105

Escaphiella hesperoides , new species Figures 646–667 ; map 13

TYPE: Female holotype from Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso , Serra do Cachimbo, 9 ° 229000S, 54 ° 549810W, Novo Progresso, Pará, Brazil (A. Bonaldo, D. Santos-Souza, D. Guimarães; Sept. 8–11, 2003), deposited in MPEG (10789, PBI_OON 29512) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name refers to the similarities to E. hespera .

DIAGNOSIS: Males and females have not been collected together, but are matched here on the basis of their similar size, coloration, and sternal modifications. Females resemble those of the North American E. hespera in having a pair of posterior sclerotizations within the epigynal atrium (fig. 664), but have a much less extensive ventral scutum that leaves almost all of the abdominal dorsum uncovered (fig. 666), and much deeper sternal depressions (fig. 665). The male palp is also distinctive, with an unusually inflated prolateral side, an elongated embolar base, and a subdistal row of five stiff setae marking the edge of the cymbial area (figs. 654–658).

MALE (PBI_OON 27762): Total length 1.94 (figs. 646, 647, 653). Carapace orange-brown, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides granulate, obvious granulate microsculpture along surface side grading into finely reticulate but not reaching apex; lateral margins without denticles (figs. 648, 652). Eyes: ALE circular, PME squared; ALE touching, ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME touching (fig. 649). Sternum orange-brown, with radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, furrow smooth, surface smooth, microsculpture absent (fig. 659). Chelicerae, endites, and labium orange-brown. Endites anteromedially modified, with darkened, spiniform tip. Abdomen ovoid; book lung covers large, ovoid; pedicel tube medium, ribbed, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel, with long, oval scutal ridge situated far above pedicel; dorsal scutum orange-brown, covering full length of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, middle surface smooth, sides smooth; postepigastric scutum orange-brown, sides smooth (figs. 650, 651). PMS present (compound microscope). Legs orange-brown. Right and left palps symmetrical, proximal segments pale orange; embolus dark; femur normal size; cymbium and bulb pale orange, prolaterally inflated, bulb apex on prolateral side with row of five longer, stiff setae (figs. 654–658).

FEMALE (PBI_OON 29512): Total length 2.40 (fig. 665). Carapace lateral margins with blunt denticles (figs. 662, 667). Abdomen with soft portions of dorsum white (figs. 660, 663); book lung covers elliptical (fig. 661). Epigynum with pair of posterior sclerotizations (fig. 664).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: Linhares, Reserva da Aracruz Celulose, June 1996 (IBSP PBI_OON 27762), 18.

DISTRIBUTION: If the sexes are correctly matched, this species occurs both in Pará (where it is sympatric with E. cachimbo ) and in Espírito Santo, Brazil (map 13).

Figures

Figs. 646–653. Escaphiella hesperoides, new species, male. 646. Habitus, dorsal view. 647. Same, ventral view. 648. Carapace, dorsal view. 649. Habitus, anterior view. 650. Epigastric region, ventral view. 651. Abdomen, lateral view. 652. Carapace, lateral view. 653. Habitus, lateral view.

Figs. 654–659. Escaphiella hesperoides, new species, male. 654. Left palpal femur, dorsal view. 655. Left palp, dorsal view. 656. Same, prolateral view. 657. Same, ventral view. 658. Same, retrolateral view. 659. Cephalothorax, ventral view.

Figs. 660–667. Escaphiella hesperoides, new species, female. 660. Habitus, dorsal view. 661. Same, ventral view. 662. Carapace, dorsal view. 663. Habitus, anterior view. 664. Epigynum, ventral view. 665. Cephalothorax, ventral view. 666. Habitus, lateral view. 667. Carapace, lateral view.