Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986

Prete, Pedro H. & Brescovit, Antonio D., 2024, Taxonomic revision of the orb weaving spider genus Plato Coddington, 1986 (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 5471 (1), pp. 1-32 : 7

Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986

Figures 3 , 4 , 23

Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986: 29 , figs. 10–12, 23–28 (male holotype and female paratype from Cueva Los Tayos (03º06’S, 78º12’W), Morona Santiago, Ecuador, Ecuadorian British Los Tayos Expedition col., deposited in MCZ, not examined); Coddington, 1990: 19, fig. 104; Lopez, 1996: 192, fig. 7.

Other material examined. ECUADOR. Napo: Archidona, Caverna Oriente (0°54'31.0"S, 77°48'35.0"W), 5♀, 23.iv.1994, V. Roth col. ( CAS; 1♀ MEV) .

Diagnosis. Male's palps resemble that of Plato omnipraesens n. sp., especially the conductor apophysis (fig. 19B, C), but it differs by present a flattened conductor apophysis (fig. 3C), an elongated median apophysis and by the subrectrangular tip of embolus (fig. 3C). Females are recognized by the narrow, slightly curved transversal groove of the epigynum, with a support as thin as the transversal groove (fig. 4B, D), and the poorly sclerotized dorsal plate in the epigynum (fig. 4E).

Description. Male: see Coddington (1986): 29, figs. 10–12, 23, 24, 27, 28.

Female (CAS). Carapace, legs, labium, endites and chelicerae brown. Sternum little darker than the rest of the prosoma. Abdomen gray, length: 1.86 Total length: 2.88. Carapace length: 1.32. Clypeus height: 0.24. Sternum: 0.72 in length and width. Eyes: AME 0.1; AME-AME 0.04; ALE-PLE contiguous (0.1 each); PME-PME separated by 0.09 (PME 0.1). Legs: I femur 1.55/ patella 0.57/ tibia 1.35/ metatarsus 0.82/ tarsus 0.68/ total 4.97; II 1.37/ 0.52/ 1.15/ 0.77/ 0.7/ 4.51; III 1/ 0.45/ 0.75/ 0.57/ 0.52/ 3.29; IV 1.25/ 0.37/ 0.8/ 0.55/ 0.51/ 3.48. Epigynum: dorsal plate posterior to spermathecae (fig. 4E). Copulatory ducts with a rounded curve in the anterior region (fig. 4C). Abdomen oval.

Variation. 5 females: total length: 2.48–2.88; carapace: 1.15–1.32; femur I: 1.4–1.75.

Distribution. Caves in the departments of Morona Santiago and Napo, Ecuador (fig. 23).

Note. Male of P. troglodita was examined only by photos and illustrations presented by Coddington (1986) because there was no access to the type material.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Plato troglodita, from Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuador. A, male body, dorsal, illustration; B, C D, male palp, left, SEM; B, ventral view; C, mesal view, expanded; D, prolateral view (all adapted from Coddington (1986). Abbreviations, C, conductor. CA, conductor apophysis. Cy, cymbium. E, embolus. EA, embolic apophysis. MA, median apophysis. O, embolic opening. PC, paracymbium. ST, subtegulum. T, tegulum. Scales: A, 0.5; B, C, D, 0.1.

FIGURE 4. Plato troglodita, from Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuador. A, female body, dorsal view; B–G, epigynum; B, ventral view; C, dorsal view; D, lateral view, clarified; E, lateral view, clarified; F, ventral view, SEM; G, anterior view, SEM. Abbreviations, At, atrium. CD, copulatory ducts. CP, central pit. DP, dorsal plate. FD, fertilization ducts. S, spermathecae. Su, epigynal support. TG, transversal groove. Scales: A, 2; B, 0.5; C, D, E 0.2; F, G, 0.1.

FIGURE 23. Distribution of records of Plato (South America).