Plator pandeae Tikader, 1969

Zhu, Ming-Sheng, Tang, Gui-Ming, Zhang, Feng & Song, Da-Xiang, 2006, Revision of the spider family Trochanteriidae from China (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Zootaxa 1140 (1), pp. 31-51 : 42-43

Plator pandeae Tikader, 1969

( Figs 20–24 , 46 )

Plator pandeae Tikader 1969: 253 –255, figs 4–7; Hu & Li 1987: 360, figs 30, 31; Song et al. 1999: 431; Hu 2001: 279, fig. 8 (160).

Diagnosis

This species can be easily distinguished from other species by anterior epigynal margins of female narrow, semicircular, and median, posteriorly with a pair of S­shaped shadows of spermathecae, epigynal openings located posteriolaterally ( Fig. 21 ), pedipalpus of male with an erect, spine­shaped median apophysis in lateral view, embolus broad and bifid distally ( Figs 23–24 ).

Description

Female total length 8.91. Carapace 2.79 long, 4.27 wide; opisthosoma 6.12 long, 5.40 wide. Anterior eye row straight, posterior eye row recurved. All eye circular. Eye diameters: AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.11, PLE 0.20. Distances between eyes: AME –AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.13, PME–PME 0.31, PME–PLE 0.33. MOA 0.38 long, front width 0.40, back width 0.53. Chelicerae reddish brown, with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Clypeus, endites and sternum light orange. Sternum wider than long, with red brown margins. Legs reddish brown, distal half of femora and other segments with black pigment. Ventral surfaces of anterior two pairs of legs with many erect spiniform bristles. Posterior two pairs with only a few weak, erect spiniform bristles and spines ventrally. Leg formula 2341.

Leg measurements of Plator pandeae Tikader 1969 , female.

Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum grey white, with small paddle hairs and sparse dark setae bearing spinules. Venter yellow white. Six spinnerents. Anterior epigynal margins narrow, semicircular, and median, posteriorly with a pair of S­shaped shadows of spermathecae, epigynal openings located posteriolaterally, anteriorly copulatory ducts short and wide ( Figs 21–22 ).

Male total length 6.30. Carapace 2.70 long, 3.78 wide; opisthosoma 3.87 long, 4.05 wide. Carapace as females. Eye diameters: AME 0.14, ALE 0.13, PME 0.10, PLE 0.18. Distances between eyes: AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.33. MOA 0.33 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.45. Appearance of body and legs as female, but patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi of legs darker in color. Opisthosoma with a small dorsal scutum. Retrolateral tibial apophysis of pedipalpus long, directed dorsally. Median apophysis short, erect, spine­shaped in ventral view. Embolus broad and bifid distally ( Figs 23–24 ).

Va r i a t i o n

Body length: females 8.89–8.91; males 5.40–6.30.

Material examined

CHINA: Tibet, Gyirong (Jilong) County, N 28°23’, E 85°21’, 2 females and 2 males, 31 March 1984, Zhao­Xing Yan and Qiong­Qiong Pu leg. ( MHBU).

Distribution

Southwest China (Tibet), India.

Biology

Living in crevices of old­wall.

Figures

FIGURES 46. Map of China, showing distribution of Chinese trochanteriids. 1. Plator insolens Simon. 2. Plator sinicus Zhu & Wang. 3. Plator bowo sp. nov. 4. Plator pandeae Tikader. 5. Plator pennatus Platnick. 6. Plator yunlong sp. nov.

FIGURES 20 – 24. Plator pandeae Tikader. 20 – 22. Female. 20, eyes, dorsal view; 21, epigynum, ventral view; 22, vulva, dorsal view; 23 – 24. Male left pedipalp. 23, ventral view; 24, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 20, 1 mm; 21 – 24, 0.1 mm.