Scaphios, 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 : 92-94

Scaphios , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Scaphios yanayacu , new species.

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is a contraction of ‘‘ Scaphiella -like Niarchos , ’’ referring to the male palpal similarities with Scaphiella (a globose palpal bulb bearing a narrow, subdistally originating embolus); the gender is masculine.

DIAGNOSIS: These species resemble those of Niarchos in having a separate ventral pedicel sclerite in females (but not males, figs. 3, 4), but differ in having normal-sized (rather than reduced) posterior eyes (figs. 712, 793), a sinuous, subdistally originating embolus (figs. 717, 809) in males, and large M-shaped apodemes (figs. 800, 823) posteriorly in the female genitalia.

DESCRIPTION: Total length of males 1.3– 1.8, of females 1.5–2.4; carapace orange, sternum, chelicerae, endites, labium, legs, and palpi pale orange, dorsal and ventral scuta of males pale orange, epigastric and postepigastric scuta of females yellow, soft portions of abdomen white, often iridescent. Cephalothorax: Carapace without any pattern, ovoid in dorsal view, pars cephalica slightly elevated in lateral view, anteriorly narrowed to between 0.5 and 0.75 times its maximum width, with rounded posterolateral corners; posterolateral edge without pits, posterior margin not bulging below posterior rim, anterolateral corners with slightly sclerotized triangular projections, posterolateral surface without spikes, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth, sides finely reticulate; pars thoracica without depressions, fovea absent, without radiating rows of pits; lateral margin straight, rebordered, without denticles; plumose setae near posterior margin of pars thoracica absent; nonmarginal pars cephalica setae dark, needlelike, scattered; nonmarginal pars thoracica setae absent; marginal setae dark, needlelike. Clypeus margin unmodified, curved downward in front view, vertical in lateral view, low, ALE separated from edge of carapace by less than their radius, median projection absent; setae dark, needlelike. Chilum absent. Eyes well developed, ALE largest, oval, PME oval or squared, PLE oval; posterior eye row usually (but not always) recurved from above, procurved from front; ALE separated by less than their radius to more than their diameter, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME separated by less than their radius, PME-PLE separated by less than their PME radius to PME diameter. Sternum longer than wide, coloration uniform, not fused to carapace, median concavity absent, without hair tufts, with radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, furrows smooth, radial furrow opposite coxae III absent; surface finely reticulate, without pits, microsculpture covering entire surface, sickle-shaped structures absent; anterior margin unmodified, posterior margin not extending posteriorly of coxae IV, anterior corner unmodified, lateral margin without infracoxal grooves, distance between coxae approximately equal, precoxal triangles present, lateral margins unmodified, without posterior hump; setae sparse, dark, needlelike, densest laterally, originating from surface; sternum of females followed posteriorly by small ventral pedicel sclerite. Chelicerae straight; without teeth on promargin or retromargin, anterior face with basal swelling; fang without toothlike projections, directed medially, shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified; setae dark, needlelike, densest medially; paturon inner margin with scattered setae, distal region abruptly narrowed, posterior surface unmodified, promargin unmodified, inner margin unmodified, laminate groove absent. Labium triangular, not fused to sternum, anterior margin indented at middle, same as sternum in sclerotization, with six or more setae on anterior margin, subdistal portion with unmodified setae. Endites distally not excavated, serrula present in single row, anteromedian tip with one strong, toothlike projection in males, unmodified in females, posteromedian part unmodified, same as sternum in sclerotization. Female palp without claw; with long bristles but without spines; tarsus unmodified, patella without prolateral row of ridges. Abdomen: Without color pattern (except in S. orellana , where dorsum soft portions show transverse rows of slightly darkened spots), cylindrical, without long posterior extension, rounded posteriorly, interscutal membrane with setae, without rows of small sclerotized platelets. Book lung covers large, ovoid, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified. Posterior spiracles connected by groove. Pedicel tube short, ribbed, scuto-pedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel in males (but not females), plumose hairs absent, matted setae on anterior ventral abdomen in pedicel area absent, cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent. Dorsal scutum present in males (but not females), strongly sclerotized, without color pattern, covering most of dorsum (except in S. orellana , where reduced to narrow longitudinal strip confined to cardiac area), not fused to epigastric scutum, surface finely reticulate, anterior half without projecting denticles. Epigastric scutum of males strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent, fused to long, strongly sclerotized postepigastric scutum occupying most of venter (except in S. orellana , where confined to epigastric area), anterior margin unmodified, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes; epigastric scutum of females weakly sclerotized, not surrounding pedicel, without lateral joints, postepigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, short, only around epigastric furrow, not fused to epigastric scutum, with long posteriorly directed lateral apodemes. Spinneret scutum present as narrow transverse ridge anterior to ALS. Supraanal scutum absent. Dorsum setae dark, needlelike, epigastric area setae uniform, dark, needlelike, postepigastric area setae dark, needlelike; dense patch of setae anterior to spinnerets absent. Spinneret scutum with fringe of stout setae. Interscutal membrane with setae. Colulus absent. Spinnerets scanned only in S. yanayacu ; anterior laterals with single major ampullate gland spigot and three piriform gland spigots; posterior medians with two spigots; posterior laterals with three spigots (figs. 735–738, 782–785). Legs: Without color pattern; femur IV not thickened, same size as femora I–III, patella plus tibia I shorter than carapace, tibia I unmodified, tibia IV specialized hairs on ventral apex absent, tibia IV ventral scopula absent, metatarsi I, II mesoapical comb absent, metatarsi III, IV weak ventral scopula absent. Leg spines present as slightly enlarged, greatly darkened macrosetae on ventral surface of tibiae (and sometimes metatarsi) IV (and sometimes III). Superior claws with few large teeth situated distally on lateral surface, many small teeth situated proximally on median surface, inner face striate; inferior claws absent. Trichobothrial base with opening longitudinally narrowed, aperture internal texture gratelike, hood covered by numerous low, closely spaced ridges (fig. 744). Tarsal organs of legs I, II with three sensillae, of legs III, IV, and palp with two sensillae (figs. 739–743, 786– 790). Genitalia: Male epigastric region with sperm pore large, oval, situated in front of anterior spiracles, unmodified; furrow without V -shaped insertions, without setae. Male palp of normal size, not strongly sclerotized, right and left palps symmetrical, proximal segments pale orange; trochanter of normal size, unmodified; femur of normal size, two or more times as long as trochanter, without posteriorly rounded lateral dilation, attaching to patella basally; patella shorter than femur, slightly wider than femur, without prolateral row of ridges, setae unmodified; tibia with three trichobothria; cymbium yellow, ovoid in dorsal view, completely fused with bulb, no seam visible, not extending beyond distal tip of bulb, plumose setae absent, without stout setae, without distal patch of setae; bulb yellow, 1–1.5 times as long as cymbium, stout; embolus dark, prolateral excavation absent. Female genitalia without tentlike anterior receptaculum, with obvious posterior apodemes.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from Ecuador and Colombia, at an extraordinary range of altitudes, from lowland areas near the Amazon to as high as 3850 m in the Andes.