Taphiassa punctata ( Forster, 1959 ) Rix & Harvey, 2010

Rix, Michael & Harvey, Mark, 2010, The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level, ZooKeys 36 (36), pp. 1-321 : 89-90

Taphiassa punctata ( Forster, 1959) , comb. n.

Figs 9C , 169B, 169E–F

Parapua punctata Forster, 1959: 301 , figs 78–81, 141 (holotype male from Methven, Canterbury, New Zealand, in Canterbury Museum, not examined). Brignoli, 1983: 374. Platnick, 2009.

Selected material examined. NEW ZEALAND: South Island: Canterbury: 8 km S. of Arthurs Pass , 14.III.1980, A. Newton, M. Thayer, 1♀ ( AMNH) ; Lewis Pass , 1.IV.2006, M. Rix, 1♀ ( WAM T94480) ; same data, 1♀ ( WAM T80022 DNA-MPE) . Marlborough: Victoria Domain, Bobs Bay , 24.I.1995, L. Boutin, 2♁ ( CAS). North

Island: Auckland: Waipoua State Forest , Wairau Summit, 11–14.IV.1980, A. Newton, M. Thayer, 1♁ ( AMNH). Waikato: Mill Road, Kaimanawa Forest Park, near Taupo, 3–8.IV.1980, A. Newton, M. Thayer, 1♁ ( AMNH) ; 22 km SE. of Taupo , 7.IV.1980, A. Newton, M. Thayer, 2♁, 2♀ ( AMNH) .

Remarks. Taphiassa punctata is a relatively large taphiassine species, similar to T. magna from Lord Howe Island. It is found on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, where it has been collected from moss and leaf litter. At Lewis Pass, specimens were collected from the underside of dense, hanging clumps of moss, in sympatry with Rayforstia vulgaris and a species of Mecysmaucheniidae (M. Rix, pers. obs.).

Figures

Figure 9. Left pedipalps of male Micropholcommatini, Textricellini and Taphiassinae, showing trajectory of the sperm ducts: A Micropholcomma caeligenum Crosby & Bishop B Tinytrella pusilla (Forster) C Taphiassa punctata (Forster). Scale bars = 0.065 mm (65 µm). Numbered arrows denote the trajectory of the ducts, from the subtegular fundibule (1) to the base of the embolus.