Savignia naniplopi is a species of spider belonging to the family Linyphiidae

Linyphiidae

Linyphiidae is a family of spiders, including more than 4,300 described species in 578 genera worldwide. This makes Linyphiidae the second largest family of spiders after the Salticidae. New species are still being discovered throughout the world, and the family is poorly known...

. It is only known from two adjacent cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

s, Arkalospiliara and Doxa, in Heraklion Prefecture

Heraklion Prefecture

Heraklion is one of the four regional units of Crete. The capital is the city of Heraklion.-Geography:The regional unit of Heraklion borders on the regional units of Rethymno to the west and Lasithi to the east. Farmlands are situated in the central and the northern parts, at the coast and in...

 on the island of Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

.

This is a very small spider with a total length (excluding legs) of only around 1.6 mm. All parts are a plain orange colour. The sexes are rather similar apart from the male having a distinctively shaped "snout" which carries two of the eight eyes.

The specific name is a Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 rendering of "Plop the gnome", a reference to the Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 children's TV character Kabouter Plop

Kabouter Plop

Kabouter Plop is the eponymous protagonist in a children's television series by Studio 100.The television series is directed by Bart Van Leemputten. Most episodes last about five minutes and are set in Plop's milk inn or in Kabouter forest...

. This refers to the subterranean habits of this species and also to the resemblance in shape of the "snout" of the male to Kabouter Plop's hat. The species was described by two Belgians.