Taphura sauliensis Boulard, 1971

Taphura sauliensis Boulard 1971: 688. (Saul, center of village, French Guiana)

REMARKS.—The claspers bifurcate at their terminus and bend towards the midline and the basal pygofer lobes are rounded finger-like extensions. The abdominal tergites lack the anterior transverse piceous mark in T. sauliensis that is found in T. crispula. The transverse mark in the pronotal ambient fissure is a single mark in T. hastifera but split into three parts in T. sauliensis whose claspers bifurcate at the terminus rather than being claw-like as found in T. hastifera (Sanborn 2017a).

DISTRIBUTION.—The species is currently known from Ecuador, French Guiana, Colombia, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago (Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Sanborn 2013; 2017a; 2020b, e) with a recent range expansion into Venezuela (Sanborn 2020a). The species was recently added to the fauna of Ecuador (Sanborn 2017a) with representatives from Orellana province studied.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.— “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ / 25—IV—2005 CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang” one male and two females (UDCC); “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ / 26—IV—2005 CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang ” one female (UDCC); “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ / 28—IV—2005 CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang ” one male (UDCC), one male (AFSC); “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ / 29—IV—2005 CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang ” one male (UDCC), one male (AFSC); “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ / 27—IV—2005 CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang ” one female (UDCC), one female (AFSC); “ ECUADOR: Provincia / de Francisco de Orellana / Yasuni National Park // S00º 40.478’, W076º 23.866’ // 29—IV—2005; CR Bartlett / N. Nazdrowicz, D. Chang // ex.@Hg Vapor light / night” one female (AFSC); “1205 Ecuador Orellana / Erwin transect / Onkone Gare Camp / Reserva Etnica Waorani / 00 39’ 25.7”S 076 27’ 10.8”W / 5.x.95 T. L. Erwin et al. / Fogging terre firme forest” one female (UDCC); “1222EcuadorOrellana / Transect Ent. 1 km S. Onkone Gare Camp / Reserva Etnica Waorani, 216.3 m / 00 39’ 25.7”S 076 27’10.8”W / 6.x.95 T. L. Erwin et al. / Fogging terre firme forest” one female (UDCC); “1445 Ecuador Orellana / Erwin transect / Onkone Gare Camp / Reserva Etnica Waorani / 00 39’ 25.7”S 076 27’ 10.8”W / 7.ii.96 T. L. Erwin et al. / Fogging terre firme forest” one male (UDCC); “ ECUADOR: Napo Prov. / Estación Cientifica Yasuní / 00 o 40’28”S 76 o 38’50”W / IX–5–10–1999, UV light / Coll. E.G. Riley, 215 m. ” one male (TAMU).