Platocoelotes brevis, Liu, Jie & Li, Shuqiang, 2008

Liu, Jie & Li, Shuqiang, 2008, Four new cave – dwelling Platocoelotes species (Araneae: Amaurobiidae) from Guangxi and Guizhou, China, Zootaxa 1778, pp. 48-58 : 51-53

Platocoelotes brevis sp. nov.

Figs 2A–G , 5

Type material: Holotype male, 1 male and 9 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Panxian County, Chengguan Town, Biyundong Cave (25º46.527´N, 104º38.278´E, Alt: 1468m, Te: 14ºC, Hu: 92%), 13 April 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.; 1 male and 13 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Panxian County, Banqiao Town, Zhaoguan Village, Danxia Mountain, Zimudong Cave (25º40.505´N, 104º37.607´E, Alt: 1798m, Te: 12ºC, Hu: 90%), 14 April 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin brevis , -e, meaning short, referring to the short conductor; adjective.

Diagnosis: The male of this new species can be distinguished from other Platocoelotes species by its short and wide conductor. The female can be separated from other Platocoelotes species by its simple, globular, closely situated spermathecae.

Description. Male (measurements of the holotype): Measurements: Total length 6.7. Prosoma length 3.3, width 2.4; Opisthosoma length 3.4, width 2.2. From front, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME, ALE, PME and PLE subequal; AME–AME, AME–ALE and ALE–PLE close together, both PME–PLE and PME–PME about half of AME diameter. Clypeal height about half of AME diameter. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements: I: 14.5 (3.8, 4.7, 3.7, 2.3); II: 12.4 (3.4, 4.0, 3.3, 1.7); III: 11.8 (3.1, 3.6, 3.3, 3.8); IV: 14.9 (4.1, 4.3, 4.2, 2.3). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Patellar apophysis relatively long, its length slightly more than half of patellar width; RTA with its distal end sharp and slightly extending beyond distal margin of tibia; lateral tibial apophysis long, about one-fourth of RTA from a retrolateral view and close-by RTA; cymbial furrow about one-third of cymbial length; conductor exhibiting a short and wide cavity (its length shorter than one-third of cymbial length, its width of the widest part subequal to half of its length from a ventral view); dorsal conductor apophysis large, bell-shaped in a retrolateral view; ventral conductor apophysis slightly long and blunt (its length about one-third of cymbial length, its width of the widest part about one-third its length from a ventral view); tegulum well developed, distinct in a ventral view; embolus filiform, arising in a 6-o’clock-position, running prolaterally in a semicircle, then lying in conductor ( Figs 2A–E ).

Female (measurements of paratype): Measurements: Total length 8.9. Prosoma length 4.0, width 2.7; Opisthosoma length 4.9, width 3.6. From front, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME smallest, ALE slightly larger than AME, PME subequal to PLE, and larger than ALE; both AME–AME and AME–ALE about one-fourth of AME diameter, ALE–PLE close together, both PME–PLE and PME–PME about three-fourths of AME diameter. Clypeal height about AME diameter. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements: I: 13.1 (3.5, 4.1, 3.4, 2.1); II: 12.1 (3.3, 4.0, 2.9, 1.9); III: 10.5 (3.0, 3.5, 2.9, 1.1); IV: 13.9 (3.0, 4.6, 4.3, 2.0). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Epigynal hoods situated posteriorly close to epigastric furrow, the distance between epigynal hoods and epigastric furrow about one-sixth atrium length; atrium relatively large, occupying more than half of epigynum, narrowing gradually from anterior to posterior; copulatory ducts not visible from dorsal view; spermathecae simple, rounded, situated close together; spermathecal heads relatively long (its length about one-third of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), situated posteriorly and laterally ( Figs 2F–G ).

Variation: Spermathecal heads of some individuals are covered by large spermathecae in a dorsal view ( Fig. 2G ).

Distribution: China (Guizhou) ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Collection localities of the four new Platocoelotes species.

FIGURES 2 A – G. Platocoelotes brevis sp. nov., A. Male pedipalpus, prolateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Same, retrolateral view; D. Epigynum, ventral view; E, F. Vulva, dorsal view (specimens from Biyundong Cave, Guizhou); G. Male cheliceral teeth, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.