Plexippoides cornutus Xie & Peng, 1993

Figs 1–2, 7

Plexippoides cornutus Xie & Peng, 1993: 19, figs 1–4 (male holotype, not examined).

Plexippoides cornutus – Peng et al. 1993: 172, figs 602–605. — Song et al. 1999: 540, figs 309n–o, 328I. — Peng 2020: 319, fig. 228a–d.

Diagnosis

Plexippoides cornutus Xie & Peng, 1993 closely resembles P. subvalidus Zhou, Li, Wang & Liu, 2023 in having a very similar habitus and copulatory organs, but it differs in: 1) the RTA is acutely narrowed medially to a pointed tip directed in a position about 1:30 o’clock in retrolateral view (Fig. 1C) vs tapered into a rather blunt tip directed in a position about 3 o’clock in P. subvalidus (Zhou et al. 2023: fig. 2c); 2) the copulatory duct is coiled about one loop medially (Fig. 2B–D, J) vs about two or three continuous loops in P. subvulidus (Zhou et al. 2023: fig. 2f).

Material examined

CHINA • 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Guizhou, Xingren County, Luchuying Township, Qingshuihe Nature Reserve, Mabaoshu Grand Canyon; 25°17.79′ N, 104°56.13′ E; 1270 m a.s.l.; 3 Aug. 2016; C. Wang et al. leg.; TRU-JS 0708–0715 .

Description

Male (TRU-JS 0708)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.69. Carapace 2.66 long, 2.07 wide. Abdomen 2.93 long, 1.66 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.59, ALE 0.32, PLE 0.30, AERW 1.83, PERW 1.76, EFL 1.24. Legs: I 6.05 (1.75, 1.00, 1.50, 1.05, 0.75), II 5.50 (1.65, 0.95, 1.25, 1.00, 0.65), III 6.35 (1.90, 1.00, 1.35, 1.35, 0.75), IV 6.45 (1.90, 0.90, 1.40, 1.50, 0.75).

HABITUS. Carapace red-brown, setose, with yellow marginal setal bands and paler area on thorax centrally; fovea longitudinal, red (Fig. 2E, H). Chelicerae yellow, with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth (Fig. 2H–I). Endites coloured as chelicerae, with small, hook-shaped, distal apophyses (Fig. 2F). Labium about linguiform (Fig. 2F). Sternum shield-shaped, about 1.5 × as long as wide (Fig. 2F). Legs pale yellow, spiny (Fig. 2E). Abdomen elongated, dorsum dark brown and spotted laterally, with two pairs of anteromedian muscle depressions and central, longitudinal, pale yellow band extending across whole surface; venter pale, with large, brown central band (Fig. 2E–F).

PALP. Tibia thick, with strongly sclerotized, twisted RTA acutely narrowed medially to pointed tip; cymbium setose, with lamellar, sub-triangular baso-retrolateral apophysis; bulb flat, almost round, with blunt, anterior flap, and sub-triangular posterior process near embolic base; embolus originates in position about 5:30 o’clock from bulb, coiled about a half circle, and with rather pointed end (Fig. 1A–C).

Female (TRU-JS 0713)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 6.79. Carapace 3.25 long, 2.50 wide. Abdomen 3.54 long, 2.25 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.63, ALE 0.38, PLE 0.33, AERW 2.04, PERW 2.00, EFL 1.33. Legs: I 5.70 (1.80, 1.00, 1.30, 0.95, 0.65), II 5.45 (1.75, 1.00, 1.25, 0.85, 0.60), III 6.50 (2.00, 1.15, 1.25, 1.40, 0.70), IV 6.75 (2.10, 1.05, 1.35, 1.50, 0.75).

HABITUS. Similar to that of male, except with longitudinal, central, yellow band extending across thorax (Fig. 2G).

EPIGYNE AND VULVA. Almost as long as wide; copulatory openings located anteriorly, elliptical, separated from each other more than their length; copulatory ducts coiled, forming complicated paths and with small, medially located, sub-triangular accessory glands; spermathecae elongate-oval, separated from each other slightly less than distance between copulatory openings; fertilization ducts lamellar, anterolaterally extending (Fig. 2A–D, J).

Distribution

China (Guizhou) (Fig. 7).