Escaphiella itys (Simon) 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 : 79-88

Escaphiella itys (Simon) , new combination Figures 482–511 ; map 9

Scaphiella itys Simon, 1893: 444 (male holotype from Caracas , Distrito Federal, Venezuela, in MNHN; examined).

Scaphiella scutata Chickering, 1968: 147 , figs. 27– 35 (male holotype from Liguanea , Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, in MCZ; examined). NEW SYNONYMY.

DIAGNOSIS: This species seems closest to E. schmidti , sharing distinct, striped pigmentation under the abdominal scuta (figs. 482, 499), but lacking a median tubercle at the posterior margin of the pars cephalica (figs. 487, 509). Males have a more pronounced embolar base and a thicker embolus (figs. 490–493), and have distinctive palpal asymmetry, with the right palp consistently about half the size of the left one (figs. 494– 496); females have narrower abdomens, with a wider, more heavily sclerotized anterior epigynal sclerite that occupies a larger proportion of the atrial area (fig. 504).

MALE (PBI_OON 27531): Total length 1.57 (figs. 482, 483, 486). Carapace pale orange, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides granulate mainly along margins; lateral margins with blunt denticles (figs. 484, 487). Eyes: ALE circular, PME squared; ALE touching, ALE-PLE touching, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME touching (fig. 485). Sternum pale orange, without radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, surface smooth, microsculpture absent (fig. 498). Chelicerae, endites, and labium pale orange. Abdomen ovoid; dorsum soft portions with striped pigmentation under dorsal scutum; book lung covers very large, ovoid; pedicel tube medium, ribbed, scutopedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel (figs. 488, 497); dorsal scutum pale orange, covering more than 3/4 of abdomen, no soft tissue visible from above, middle surface smooth, sides smooth; postepigastric scutum pale orange, sides smooth (fig. 489). PMS present (compound microscope). Legs pale orange. Right palp consistently different from left palp, about half an large (figs. 490– 496), proximal segments pale orange; embolus dark; femur normal size; cymbium and bulb pale orange.

FEMALE (PBI_OON 27531): Total length 1.69 (fig. 507). Carapace granulate only along margins (figs. 501, 509, 511). Abdomen with soft portions of dorsum white, with striped pigmentation (figs. 499, 502, 503, 505, 506). Anterior sclerite filling much of epigynal atrium (figs. 500, 504, 508, 510).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: CAYMAN ISLANDS: Grand Cayman: Run Point, 19 ° 229N, 81 ° 169W, Feb. 24, 1993 (W. Steiner, J. Swearingen, USNM PBI_OON 27565), 1♀. JAMAICA: Clarendon: Salt River , Nov. 24, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71978 , PBI_OON 27552), 18. Kingston: Buccaneer Beach, Dec. 5, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71976 , PBI_OON 27545), 1♀ ; Gunboat Beach , Nov. 19, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71962 , PBI_OON 27536), 1♀ ; Palisadoes Area, Nov. 1, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71969 , PBI_OON 27547), 28, 4♀. Saint Andrew: Bamboo Ave., Liguanea , Nov. 14, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 23011 , PBI_OON 29545), 18, 1♀ (holotype, paratype) ; Fairway and Seymour Avenues , Nov. 7, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71964 , PBI_OON 27541), 18 ; Ferry , June 19, 1954 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71968 , PBI_OON 27553), 1♀, Oct. 28, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71986 , PBI_OON 27549), 28, 1♀ ; Hermitage Reservoir , Oct. 30, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71970 , PBI_OON 27542), 2♀ ; Hermitage Road, Mona , Nov. 28, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71983 , PBI_OON 27532), 5♀ ; Hope Gardens , Oct.–Nov. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71967 , PBI_OON 27538), 58, 15♀, Nov.– Dec. 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71979 , PBI_OON 27539), 118, 45♀ ; Liguanea , Oct. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71998 , PBI_OON 27534), 188, 44♀, Nov. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71963 , PBI_OON 27558), 388, 99♀, Dec. 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71974 , PBI_OON 27557), 38, 9♀ ; Mona , Nov. 4, 1948 (S. Underwood, MCZ 71989 , PBI_OON 27561), 1♀, Oct. 1–15, 1957, citrus orchard (A. Chickering, MCZ 71957 , PBI_OON 27543), 208, 35♀, Oct. 15– 30, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ PBI_OON 27562), 508, 56♀ ; Mona Heights , Dec. 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71985 , PBI_OON 27535), 38, 27♀ ; Mona Road , Oct. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71966 , PBI_OON 27554), 198, 46♀, Nov.–Dec. 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71987 , PBI_OON 27531), 138, 43♀ ; Monroe Road, Liguanea , Oct. 15, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ PBI_OON 27563), 1♀ ; Richards Reservoir , Nov.–Dec. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71997 , PBI_OON 27555), 178, 58♀, Nov.–Dec. 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71958 , PBI_OON 27551), 198, 36♀ ; Upper Mountain View, Nov. 10, 1949 (C. Lewis, MCZ 71975 , PBI_OON 27650), 1♀. Saint Ann: Runaway Bay , June 23, 1954 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71977 , PBI_OON 27546), 1♀. Saint Catherine: E end, Innswood Estate, Nov. 10, 1963 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71981 , PBI_OON 27533), 1♀ ; Old Harbor, ‘‘ The Whim ,’’ Oct. 9, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71988 , PBI_OON 27537), 18, 2♀ ; School of Agriculture , Oct.–Nov. 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71965 , PBI_OON 27550), 88, 8♀ ; 1.5 mi SW Spanish Town, Oct. 10, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71982 , PBI_OON 27556), 38, 1♀ ; 7 mi SE Spanish Town , July 28–Aug. 1, 1974, dung trap, thorn scrub (S. Peck, MCZ 71973 , PBI_OON 27559), 1♀ ; 8 mi W Spanish Town, Dec. 2, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71984 , PBI_OON 27548), 3♀. Saint Thomas: 6 mi NE Bath , Dec. 10, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71972 , PBI_OON 27549), 1♀ ; Morant Bay , Oct. 29, 1957 (A. Chickering, MCZ 71980 , PBI_OON 27544), 1♀ ; NE Cay, Morant Cays, July 1965, under rocks, palm fronds (T. Aitken, AMNH PBI_OON 27564), 18. NETHERLANDS ANTILLES: Curac ̡ao: Coral Specht , 3 km E Willemstad, Feb. 8–15, 1987 (W. Steiner, J. Swearingen, USNM PBI_OON 27567), 1♀ ; Piscaderabaai , Dec. 18–30, 1962 (H., L. Levi, MCZ

PBI_OON 27568), 1♀; Willemstad, Dec. 24, 1962, roadside (H., L. Levi, MCZ PBI_OON 27566), 28. COLOMBIA: La Guajira: Ríohacha, Feb. 28, 1974, elev. 0 ft (J. Kochalka, AMNH PBI_OON 27569), 1♀. VENEZUELA: Distrito Federal: Caracas (E. Simon, MNHN 5693 , PBI_OON 29541), 18 (holotype) .

DISTRIBUTION: Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Curaçao, and northern Colombia and Venezuela (map 9).

SYNONYMY: Chickering did not compare E. scutata (or any of the other species he described from Panama or the West Indies) with any taxa previously described from North or South America, even though he recorded E. scutata from Curaçao and could therefore reasonably have expected the species to occur in northern South America as well. Although not mentioned in Simon’s description of E. itys , the male holotype of that species has a reduced right palp that matches those of Chickering’s Jamaican males.

Figures

Figs. 482–489. Escaphiella itys (Simon), male. 482. Habitus, dorsal view. 483. Same, ventral view. 484. Carapace, dorsal view. 485. Habitus, anterior view. 486. Same, lateral view. 487. Carapace, lateral view. 488. Anterior portion of abdomen, lateral view. 489. Epigastric region, ventral view.

Figs. 490–498. Escaphiella itys (Simon), male. 490. Left palp, dorsal view. 491. Same, prolateral view. 492. Same, ventral view. 493. Same, retrolateral view. 494. Right palp, prolateral view. 495. Same, ventral view. 496. Same, retrolateral view. 497. Abdomen, anterior view. 498. Cephalothorax, ventral view.