Plator cyclicus, Lin & Li, 2020

Lin, Yejie & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Taxonomic studies on six species of the genus Plator (Araneae: Trochanteriidae) from China, Zoological Systematics 45 (1), pp. 24-39 : 25-27

Plator cyclicus sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 8A , 10 A–D, 11)

Holotype ♂ (IZCAS-Ar39702), China, Yunnan Province, Pu’er City, Mengpufa , 28.3845°N, 101.2088°E, 29 January 2017, Jin Wang leg. Paratypes. 1♂ 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar39703-Ar39704), same data as holotype .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word " cyclicus ", meaning round, referring to the nearly circular epigyne; adjective, masculine.

Diagnosis. This species resembles P. pennatus Platnick, 1976 by having a flat embolus and a well-developed conductor in the males and by the shapes of the primary spermathecae and copulatory ducts in the females. However, the males can be distinguished from P. pennatus by the median apophysis which has a hood and is not hooked, and the females can be distinguished by the epigyne which has a well-developed circular rim.

Description. Male (IZCAS-Ar39702). Total length 6.67, carapace 2.45 long, 3.60 wide, opisthosoma 3.80 long, 3.64 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.13, PME 0.14, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.08, PME– PME 0.26, PME–PLE 0.26, AME–PME 0.10, ALE–PLE 0.22. Clypeus height 0.04. Chelicerae with four promarginal and four retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: leg I: 8.81 (3.19 + 3.13 + 1.58 + 0.91), leg II: 10.78 (3.80 + 3.76 + 2.20 + 1.02), leg III: 12.98 (4.45 + 4.50 + 2.89 + 1.14), leg IV: 13.30 (3.92 + 3.80 + 4.60 + 0.98). Leg formula: 4321.

Male palp. Retrolateral tibial apophysis longer than wide, thin. Cymbium oval, sub-tegulum brown, mostly obscured by tegulum, tegulum nearly oval, median apophysis short, terminus with hood opening retrolaterally. Embolus curved, ribbon-shaped, without obvious apophysis. Conductor membranous, well-developed, originating between embolic base and median apophysis.

Female (IZCAS-Ar39704). Total length 10.00, carapace 2.91 long, 4.52 wide, opisthosoma 6.60 long, 5.15 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.16, ALE 0.14, PME 0.12, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.30, PME–PLE 0.36, AME–PME 0.14, ALE–PLE 0.25. Clypeus height 0.08. Chelicerae with four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Leg measurements: Leg I: 10.31 (3.76 + 3.64 + 1.86 + 1.05), leg II: 15.45 (5.32 + 5.77 + 3.13 + 1.23), leg III: 15.47 (5.38 + 5.64 + 3.22 + 1.23), leg IV: 12.37 (4.55 + 3.96 + 2.72 + 1.14). Leg formula: 3241.

Epigyne ( Figs 1 A–B) copulatory ducts short, thick, U-shaped. Two pairs of spermathecae behind copulatory ducts. Secondary spermathecae close to copulatory openings, oval, with two secondary spermathecal heads. Primary spermathecae triangular, posterior to secondary spermathecae, connected with fertilization ducts.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 1. Plator cyclicus sp. nov., paratype female and holotype male. A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. Vulva, dorsal view. C. Left palp, prolateral view. D. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bars=0.2mm.

Figure 8. Plator spp., male holotypes, left palp, ventral view. A. P. cyclicus sp. nov. B. P. dazhonghua sp. nov. C. P. hanyikani sp. nov. D. P. qiului sp. nov. Scale bars=0.2mm.

Figure 10. Habitus of four new Plator species, male dorsal view (A, E, I, M), ventral view (B, F, J, N) and female dorsal view (C, G, K, O), ventral view (D, H, L, P). A–D. P. cyclicus sp. nov. E–H. P. dazhonghua sp. nov. I–L. P. hanyikani sp. nov. M–P. P. qiului sp. nov. Scale bars=1.0mm.