Taphiassa Simon, 1880: 172 Taphiassa impressa Simon, 1880 Roewer, 1942: 414 Bonnet, 1959: 4238 Theridiidae Symphytognathidae Levi & Levi, 1962: 29 Symphytognathidae Mysmenidae Forster & Platnick, 1977: 2 Brignoli, 1980: 730 Taphiassa punctigera Simon, 1895 Theridiidae Brignoli, 1983: 379 Parapua Forster, 1959: 301 Parapua punctata Forster, 1959 Brignoli, 1983: 374 Brignoli, 1980: 731 Taphiassa Olgania The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level Rix, Michael Harvey, Mark ZooKeys 2010 2010-02-22 36 36 1 321 Simon, 1880 Simon 1880 [223,502,800,827] Arachnida Micropholcommatidae Taphiassa Animalia Araneae 79 80 Arthropoda genus      Taphiassa Simon, 1880: 172. Typespecies by monotypy  Taphiassa impressa Simon, 1880.  Roewer, 1942: 414.  Bonnet, 1959: 4238. Transferred from Theridiidaeto Symphytognathidaeby  Levi & Levi, 1962: 29. Transferred from Symphytognathidaeto Mysmenidaeby  Forster & Platnick, 1977: 2.  Brignoli, 1980: 730(also transferred ‘  Taphiassa’  punctigera Simon, 1895to Theridiidae incertae sedis).  Brignoli, 1983: 379. Platnick, 2009.     Parapua Forster, 1959: 301. Typespecies by original designation  Parapua punctata Forster, 1959.  Brignoli, 1983: 374. Platnick, 2009. syn. n.(but see also  Brignoli, 1980: 731).   Affinities.The genus  Taphiassaappears to be the sister-lineage to  Olganiafrom Tasmania( Fig. 4).    Diagnosis.Species of  Taphiassacan be distinguished from species of  Olganiaby the presence of a normal, plate-like anterior sclerite (Fig. 165C), the presence of an enlarged subtegulum (Fig. 174A), and the presence of a seta projecting from the proximal toothed mound of the cheliceral promargin (Figs 159B, 172F). Other diagnostic characters include the presence of eight eyes (Fig. 152A), and the absence of bulging anterior projections on the male chelicerae (Fig. 157E).    Description.Very small, entelegyne Araneoidea: total length 1.00 to 2.20. Cephalothorax: Carapace with glandular depressions above maxillae (Figs 170E, 170G– H); cuticle of carapace and sternum heavily punctate, covered with glandular pits (Figs 152A–C); margins fused to sternum via pleural sclerites. Eight eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica (Fig. 152A); eyes usually subequal, AME greater than three-quarters diameter of ALE (Fig. 152C). Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections in males; promargin with one sessile tooth and separate proximal, toothed mound near tip of fang bearing prolateral seta (Figs 159A–B); fused setal sockets, peg teeth and ectal stridulatory ridges absent.  Legs and female pedipalp: Legs three-clawed (Figs 160E–F), covered with smooth or serrate hair-like setae; superior claws of legs I–II often strongly pectinate (Figs 173D– E); superior claws of legs III–IV usually asymmetric (Fig. 173F). Trichobothria present on legs; tibiae each with three (legs I–III) or four (legs III–IV) trichobothria; metatarsi each with (legs I–IV) (Fig. 160C) or sometimes without (leg IV) single trichobothrium. Female pedipalp entire (Fig. 159C), reduced or vestigial (Fig. 170F); claw absent (Fig. 159D).  Abdomen: Abdomen globose; anterior sclerite present around epigastric region and petiole; dorsal scute absent on males and females (Figs 155A–B); posterior sclerotic ring surrounding spinnerets and colulus. Six spinnerets situated posterior to fleshy colulus (Figs 162, 175); PMS with single medial AC gland spigot and posterior seta; PLS with reduced triad consisting of FL gland spigot and single AG gland spigot. Anterior tracheal system well-developed, with multiple radiating tracheae (Figs 169E–F); posterior tracheal spiracle vestigial (Figs 152F, 154D).  Genitalia: Male pedipalp (Figs 161, 174) relatively small; patella with retrolaterallydirected, hooked ligulate retrolateral apophysis and strongly recurved distal apophysis; subtegulum enlarged, bulging posteriorly; tegulum smooth, with curved evaginated tegular ridge; embolus exposed, long (length> 5× width), curving distally. Female genitalia (Figs 154A–C, 169) with pair of separate, globular anterior spermathecae; insemination ducts simple, straight; fertilisation ducts simple, curved.    Distribution.Eastern and south-western mainland Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, New Caledoniaand New Zealand(Fig. 217).   Composition.Two described species,  Taphiassa impressa Simon, 1880and  T. punctata( Forster, 1959)and the four new species  T. castanea,  T. globosa,  T. magnaand  T. robertsi. Undescribed species are also known from New Caledoniaand eastern Australia. Note that the species  Taphiassa punctigera Simon, 1895is a Theridiidae incertae sedis( Brignoli 1980; Platnick 2009), not conspecific or congeneric with  T. impressa.   Nomenclaturalremarks.The genus  Taphiassawas originally described by Simon (1880)for the species  T. impressa, from Nouméa, New Caledonia. No illustrations were provided with the original description, and the species had never been adequately illustrated ( Brignoli 1980). Levi and Levi (1962)transferred  T. impressafrom the Theridiidaeto the Symphytognathidae, while Forster and Platnick (1977)transferred it from the Symphytognathidaeto the Mysmenidae. It was Brignoli (1980)who, with remarkable insight aided only be Simon’s original Latin description, first noted the similarity of  T. impressato  Parapua, and the analysis of Rix et al. (2008)also inferred a close sister-group relationship between  Taphiassaand  Parapua.  Taphiassais hereby transferred from the Mysmenidaeto the Micropholcommatidae, and  Taphiassais formally recognised as a senior generic synonym of  Parapua.   Taxonomicremarks.Species of  Taphiassacan be arbitrarily divided into two groups based upon somatic features – the ‘  Taphiassagroup’ and the ‘  Parapuagroup’. Species in the ‘  Parapuagroup’ (including  T. punctata,  T. castaneaand similar species) are generally smaller, darker coloured, with relatively shorter legs and smaller female pedipalps than species in the ‘  Taphiassagroup’, which are often relatively large with strongly patterned abdomens. A spectrum of intermediate morphologies exists, however, and the division seems merely phenetic. Many additional species of  Taphiassaare known from Australiaand New Caledonia(e.g. see Platnick 1993under “  Parapua”), and the genus has clearly radiated in New Caledonia, with at least five undescribed species represented in museum collections (M. Rix, unpubl. data).