Brignolia dasysterna Platnick, Dupérré, Ott & Kranz-Baltensperger, 2011

Sherwood, Danniella, Dunlop, Jason & Sharp, Adam, 2024, On the identity of Opopaea euphorbicola Strand, 1909 and first records of three other non-native goblin spiders from Ascension Island (Araneae: Oonopidae), Zootaxa 5437 (1), pp. 125-130 : 128

Brignolia dasysterna Platnick, Dupérré, Ott & Kranz-Baltensperger, 2011 ( Figs. 1H–I )

Brignolia dasysterna Platnick et al. 2011: 32 , figs. 95–141 (♂ ♀).

Brignolia dasysterna : Brescovit et al. 2019 b: 2, figs. 1–6 (♂).

Diagnosis and description. See Platnick et al. (2011).

Material examined. 2 ♂♂ ( ASC K17 2 LC), Ascension Island (-7.95, -14.34), Volcanic breccia, non-baited pitfall trap, 24/03/2022, coll. A. Sharp.

Distribution. Ascension Island (new record, introduced), Brazil (introduced, Brescovit et al. 2019), and USA ( Platnick et al. 2011).

Remarks. Brignolia dasysterna seems to be a more recent introduction to Ascension from the United States, in keeping with other recently discovered non-native species (Sherwood et al. in prep). It is not present in older samples. The habitus and genitalia of this species has been excellently illustrated elsewhere ( Platnick et al, 2011; Brescovit et al. 2019), complete with comprehensive descriptions. Therefore, we simply provide here two complimentary photographs showing the key characters to identify male B. dasysterna : the modified setae of the sternum ( Fig. 1H ) and the medial keel of the dark and elongate palpal bulb ( Fig. 1I ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ascension oonopids. A–G Opopaea euphorbicola Stand, 1909 (BMNH), H–I Brignolia dasysterna Platnick, Dupérré, Ott & Kranz-Baltensperger, 2011 (ASC K17 2 LC). A–D neotype male (designated herein) of O. euphorbicola, A habitus, dorsal view, B same, ventral view, C palp, prolateral view, pink arrow indicates keel at tip of palpal bulb, D same, dorsoretrolateral view. E–G non-type female of O. euphorbicola, E habitus, dorsal view, F same, ventral view, G epigyne, ventral view. H–I B. dasysterna, H cephalothorax, ventral view, showcasing distinctive sternal morphology, indicated by pink arrow, I close-up of palp in dorso-prolateral view, pink arrow indicates keel at tip of palpal bulb. Scale bars = 0.2mm (A–B, E–F, H), 0.05mm (C–D, G, I).