Niarchos elicioi, Platnick & Duperre, 2010

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2010, The Andean Goblin Spiders Of The New Genera Niarchos And Scaphios (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (345), pp. 1-120 : 30

Niarchos elicioi , new species Figures 167–189

TYPE: Male holotype taken at an elevation of 3400 m at Yumate , via Pan de Azúcar, Molleturo, 2.76757uS, 79.43222uW, Azuay, Ecuador (Jan. 23, 2010; E. Tapia), deposited in QCAZ (PBI_OON 436) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is another patronym in honor of Elicio Tapia, collector of the only known specimens, in recognition of his continuing efforts to help us document the oonopid fauna of Ecuador.

DIAGNOSIS: This species is clearly most closely related to N. tapiai , sharing with it a greatly narrowed anterior projection on the male endites, a tiny retroventral projection on the male palpal bulb, and a hypertrophied embolar region, but can easily be distinguished by the longer embolar region (figs. 175–179) of males and the less arched posterior margin of the epigastric sclerite (figs. 188, 189) of females.

MALE (PBI_OON 436, figs. 167–179): Total length 1.86. Posterior eye row straight from above; PLE-PME separated by PME radius to PME diameter. Sternum surface finely reticulate. Anterior projections on endites long, narrow, directed ventrally. Leg spination: tibiae: III v0-0-1p; IV v0-1p-1p; metatarsi IV v0-0- 1p. Embolus strong, strongly arched; bulb with relatively small projection on retroventral side, distal part embolar region elongated, almost as long as bulb, with basal process (figs. 175–179).

FEMALE (PBI_OON 437, figs. 180–189): Total length 1.93. Leg spination: tibiae: III v0-0-1p; IV v0-0-2; metatarsi III, IV v0-0- 1p. Posterior margin of epigastric scutum broadly arched, indented at middle (figs. 188, 189).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Ecuador: Azuay: Yumate, via Pan de Azúcar, Molleturo, 2.76757uS, 79.43222uW, Jan. 23, 2010, elev. 2450 m (E. Tapia, AMNH, MACN, QCAZ PBI_OON 437), 3 -, 2 U.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Azuay province, Ecuador.

Figures

Figs. 167–179. Niarchos elicioi, new species, male. 167. Habitus, dorsal view. 168. Same, ventral view. 169. Same, lateral view. 170. Carapace, dorsal view. 171. Habitus, anterior view. 172. Carapace, lateral view. 173. Epigastric region, ventral view. 174. Sternum and mouthparts, ventral view. 175. Embolus, ventral view. 176. Same, prolateral view. 177. Palp, prolateral view. 178. Same, ventral view. 179. Same, retrolateral view.

Figs. 180–189. Niarchos elicioi, new species, female. 180. Habitus, dorsal view. 181. Same, ventral view. 182. Carapace, dorsal view. 183. Sternum and mouthparts, ventral view. 184. Habitus, lateral view. 185. Same, anterior view. 186. Carapace, lateral view. 187. Epigastric region, ventral view. 188. Genitalia, ventral view. 189. Same, dorsal view.