Scaphiella, SIMON

Platnick, N. & Dupérré N., 2010, The Goblin Spider Genus Scaphiella (Araneae, Oonopidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2010 (332), pp. 1-156 : 7-8

SCAPHIELLA SIMON

Scaphiella Simon, 1891: 561 (type species by monotypy Scaphiella cymbalaria Simon ).

DIAGNOSIS: Members of this genus closely resemble those of Escaphiella but can be distinguished by the shape of the chelicerae, which are long and narrow rather than short and wide, and by the absence of an embolar base in males (figs. 8–10). Almost all specimens can also quickly be recognized by the presence of black macrosetae on the chelicerae (figs. 332, 335) and near the base of the prolateral side of the palpal tarsus in both sexes (figs. 497, 501, 533, 545, 546), and by the presence of an expanded palpal tarsus in females (figs. 545, 547), but the macrosetae are not present in the female here assigned to Scaphiella cayo , new species, and the palpal tarsus of that female is slightly less expanded than in other species.

DESCRIPTION: Total length of males 0.9– 1.8, of females 1.0–2.2; cephalothorax, legs, and abdominal scuta yellow to orangebrown, usually pale orange. CEPHALO- THORAX: Carapace without any pattern, ovoid in dorsal view, pars cephalica slightly to strongly 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 without extension or projections, posterolateral surface without spikes, surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica smooth; thorax without depressions, fovea absent, without radiating rows of pits; lateral margin straight, rebordered, usually with blunt denticles; plumose setae near posterior margin of pars thoracica absent; nonmarginal pars cephalica setae dark, needlelike, scattered; nonmarginal pars thoracica setae usually present, dark, needlelike; marginal setae absent. Clypeus margin unmodified, vertical in lateral view, straight or curved downwards in ventral view, high, ALE separated from edge of carapace by their radius or more, median projection absent, setae dark, needlelike. Chilum absent. Eyes six, usually well developed (exceptions noted in species descriptions), ALE usually largest, circular, PME usually squared, PLE oval; posterior eye row procurved from front, usually procurved from above but sometimes straight; ALE separated by their diameter or less, usually by less than their radius, ALE- PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME usually touching throughout most of their length (but can be separated by more than their diameter in species with reduced eyes), PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius, sometimes touching. Sternum longer than wide, coloration uniform, 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, sickleshaped structures absent; anterior margin with narrow transverse groove, often interrupted at middle (figs. 19, 491, 492), posteri- or margin not extending posteriorly of coxae IV, anterior corners unmodified, lateral margin without deep infracoxal grooves (fig. 19), distance between coxae approximately equal, extensions of precoxal triangles absent, lateral margins unmodified, without posterior hump; setae abundant, dark, needlelike, evenly scattered, originating from surface. Chelicerae straight, anterior face unmodified (exceptions noted in species descriptions; see males of S. cymbalaria and S. simla ); without teeth on promargin or retromargin; without toothlike projections, directed medially; shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified; setae dark, needlelike, evenly scattered; paturon inner margin with scattered setae, distal region unmodified, posterior surface unmodified, promargin unmodified; inner margin with pair of large, elaborate, black macrosetae (except in female of S. cayo ); laminate groove absent; males of at least S. altamira and S. williamsi with long, flat, unbarbed seta near fang base (figs. 331, 333, 489, 490). Labium triangular, fused to sternum, anterior margin indented at middle, same as sternum in sclerotization, subdistal portion with unmodified setae. Endites distally excavated (fig. 492), sometimes with anterior modifications in males; serrula apparently absent in both sexes, posteromedian part unmodified, same as sternum in sclerotization. Female palp without claw or spines; prolateral surface of femur with stridulatory ridges (fig. 545); patella without prolateral row of ridges, tarsus basally expanded, with patch of elaborate, black macrosetae prolaterally at base (except in S. cayo ), with distal patch of setae. ABDO- MEN: ovoid to cylindrical, without long posterior extension, rounded posteriorly, interscutal membrane with setae, without rows of small sclerotized platelets; females with dorsum soft portions white, without color pattern. Supposed book lung covers large, round to ovoid, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified. Posterior spiracles not connected by groove. Pedicel tube short to medium in length, ribbed, scuto-pedicel region unmodified, scutum not extending far dorsal of pedicel, plumose hairs absent, matted setae on anterior ventral abdomen in pedicel area absent, cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent. Dorsal scutum absent in females, that of males covering at least three quarters (usually all) of abdominal length, more than half (usually all) of abdomen width, usually with no soft tissue visible from above, not fused to epigastric scutum, strongly sclerotized, without color pattern (but dark markings sometimes visible under scuta, as noted in species descriptions), anterior half without projecting denticles. Epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent, without anterolateral joints in females. Postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, long, semicircular, covering at least L of abdomen length, usually covering nearly full length of abdomen, fused to epigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified, males sometimes with short, posteriorly directed apodemes visible. Spinneret scutum present, incomplete ring, with fringe of needlelike setae; 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. Interscutal membrane with setae. Colulus represented only by setae. Spinnerets scanned only in male S. altamira , both sexes of S. hone , and female S. williamsi ; ALS with three spigots, PMS with single spigot, PLS with two spigots (see figs. 346–349, 379–382, 399– 402, 555, 556). LEGS: without color pattern; femur IV not thickened, same size as femora I-III, patella plus tibia I usually shorter than carapace, tibia I unmodified, tibia IV spe- cialized 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 absent. Claws (scanned in detail only in S. williamsi ) usually with teeth restricted to median surfaces but those of leg I at least sometimes with teeth on outer surfaces also. Tibiae each with three trichobothria, metatarsi each with one, trichobothrial bases rounded, aperture internal texture not gratelike, hood smooth (figs. 509, 558). Tarsal organ of legs I, II with three sensilla (figs. 510, 511), of legs III, IV, and palp with two sensilla (fig. 512, 513, 560). GENITALIA: Male epigastric region with sperm pore large, circular, situated at level of anterior spiracles, rebordered; furrow without V -shaped insertions, without setae. Male palp of normal size, not strongly sclerotized, right and left palps symmetrical, proximal segments yellow; embolus dark, prolateral excavation absent; trochanter of normal size, unmodified; femur two or more times as long as trochanter, without posteriorly rounded lateral dilation, attaching to patella basally; patella shorter than femur, not enlarged, without prolateral row of ridges, setae unmodified; tibia with three dorsal trichobothria; cymbium yellow, ovoid in dorsal view, completely fused with bulb, no seam visible, extending beyond distal tip of bulb, plumose setae absent, without stout setae, with patch of elaborate, black macrosetae prolaterally at base, with distal patch of setae; bulb yellow, with prolateral stridulatory file (fig. 497), 1 to 1.5 times as long as cymbium, stout, tapering apically.

MISPLACED SPECIES: As detailed by Platnick and Dupérré (2009b), both Scaphiella ula Suman (1965) from Hawaii and Scaphiella maculata Birabén (1955) from Argentina are misplaced in this genus and belong elsewhere.

DISTRIBUTION: Southern Florida and southern Mexico south to Peru and Brazil.

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