Nediphya lyleae Marusik & Omelko 2017, sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub: 0BB9A61D-45CB-4A36-87F3-B141517DD1A6

Types. Holotype ♀: Papua New Guinea: Central Province, Goilala District, Avios, in Sphagnum, 20.02.1974 (P. T. Lehtinen) (ZMUT). Paratypes: 1 ♀, Papua New Guinea: Central Province, Goilala District, Avios, in litter of rain forest, 17.02.1974 (P. T. Lehtinen); 1 ♀, same locality, in vegetation of roadside, 20.02.1974 (P. T. Lehtinen) (ZMUT).

Diagnosis. Nediphya lyleae sp. n. is similar to N. hippai sp. n. by carapace pattern and abdominal pattern with white guanine spots. It can be distinguished from the latter by the epigyne with median plate (Mp) longer than wide vs. wider than long (cf. figs 43 and 44–45) and presence of femoral spines on legs I and II vs. lacking on all legs in sibling species.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Female holotype. Total length 2.7, carapace 1.05 long, 0.85 wide. Carapace light brown with dark brown V-mark. Chelicerae with 3 prolateral and 2 retrolateral teeth. Chelicerae, maxillae, labium and sternum yellow. All eyes with black edging (completely encircling AME and PME, on ALE and PLE on inner margins only). Leg segments dark at top. Tibiae and metatarsi with light and dark rings. Abdomen light yellow with pattern obscured due to poor specimen preservation.

Length of leg segments

Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total

I 1.58 0.57 1.62 1.80 0.69 6.26

II 1.17 0.48 1.13 1.20 0.57 4.55

III 0.80 0.30 0.53 0.57 0.32 2.51

IV 1.05 0.30 0.77 0.83 0.35 3.29

Leg spination

Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus

I 2p 1r 1d 2d 2p 1r

II 1r 1d 1d 1p 2r 1d

III – 1d 1d 1p 1r 1d 1p

IV – 2d 2d 1p 2r 1d 1p

Epigyne as in figs 44–45, 48; median plate longer than wider, copulatory ducts arched and separated by about one diameter at the base.

D i s t r i b u t i o n. The new species is known only from the type locality where N. padillai is also known to occur.

Etymology. The species name is a patronym in honour of our colleague Robin Lyle (Pretoria, South Africa), coauthor of the study of African Diphya (Marusik & Lyle in prepartion).