Plator pennatus Platnick, 1976

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 : 44-46

Plator pennatus Platnick, 1976

( Figs 25–30 , 46 )

Plator pennatus Platnick 1976a: 6 , figs 3–4; Song et al. 1999: 431, fig. 258G.

Diagnosis

This species can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by epigynum of females with short margins on its anteriolateral corners, anteriorly copulatory ducts Ushaped ( Figs 27, 28 ); median apophysis of males pedipalpus short, triangular, hooked distally ( Fig. 29 ).

Description

Female total length 10.89. Carapace 2.88 long, 4.77 wide; opisthosoma 7.11 long, 6.12 wide. Carapace almost semicircular, much wider than long, pale orange, linear depressions reddish brown, lateral margins with single row of bristles, other areas clothed with fine hairs and sparse dark setae with a black brown carina along posterior margin of carapace ( Fig. 25 ). Anterior eye row straight, posterior eye row recurved. Posterior median eye oval, other circular. Eye diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.12, PME 0.13, PLE 0.18. Distances between eyes: AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.38. MOA 0.36 long, front width 0.38, back width 0.51. Chelicerae reddish brown, short, with four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Clypeus, endites and sternum light orange. Clypeus longer than wide, arrow­shaped. Maxilla oval. Sternum wider than long, with red brown margins. Femora of legs light orange, other segments reddish brown. Ventral surfaces of anterior two pairs of legs with many erect spiniform bristles, but leg I more. Ventral surfaces of posterior legs with only a few weak, erect spiniform bristles and spines. Leg formula 2341.

Leg measurements of Plator pennatus Platnick 1976 , female.

Opisthosoma oval, widest at middle. Dorsum greyish brown, posterior margin black, clothed with small paddle hairs and sparse dark setae bearing spinules. Venter grey yellow, clothed light red brown fine hairs. Colulus absent. Six spinnerents. Epigynum with short margins on its anteriolateral corners and almost triangular, anteriorly copulatory ducts Ushaped ( Figs 27, 28 ).

Male total length 5.44. Carapace 2.20 long, 3.24 wide; opisthosoma 3.33 long, 3.51 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.10, PME 0.12, PLE 0.15. Distances between eyes: AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.33. MOA 0.18 long, front width 0.31, back width 0.41. Appearance of body as female. Carapace, clypeus maxilla and sternum pale orange. Femora of legs pale orange, other segments greyish black. Erect spiniform bristles of anterior two pairs of legs less and weaker than those in female. Retrolateral tibial apophysis of pedipalpus short, directed ventrally. Median apophysis short, triangular, and a hooked tip ( Figs 29, 30 ).

Va r i a t i o n

Body length: females 8.42–10.89; males 5.44–5.46.

Material examined

CHINA: Yunnan Province, Dali City, N 25°34’, E 100°13’, 7 females and 2 males, 28 November 2000, Zi­Zhong Yang leg. ( MHBU).

Distribution

Southwest China (Yunnan).

Biology

Living under bark of eucalypt trees.

Figures

FIGURES 25. Plator pennatus Platnick, 25, Female, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm

FIGURES 26 – 30. Plator pennatus Platnick. 26 – 28. Female. 26, eyes, dorsal view; 27, epigynum, ventral view; 28, vulva, dorsal view; 29 – 30. Male left pedipalp. 29, ventral view; 30, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 26, 1 mm; 27 – 30, 0.1 mm.

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.