Plato hamatus, Prete & Brescovit, 2024

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 : 27-28

Plato hamatus new species

Figures 22 , 23

Types. Male holotype and female paratype from Gruta dos Cururus (44°44'0"W, 17°36'1"S), Várzea da Palma , Minas Gerais, Brazil, 11.x.1999, R.L. Ferreira et al. col., deposited in UFMG 14216 .

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition, and means hook shaped in Latin, and refers to the shape of conductor apophysis in males of this species.

Material examined. Only the types.

Diagnosis. Males of Plato hamatus n. sp. are diagnosed by the hook-shaped apophysis of the conductor (fig. 22C). Females are recognized by the epigyna with a transversal groove in a semi-hexagonal shape, with a subrectangular dorsal plate, partially covering the spermathecae (fig. 22F, G).

Description. Male (Holotype, UFMG 14216). Carapace, sternum and legs light brown. Labium, endites and chelicerae dark brown. Abdomen grayish, length: 1. Total length: 1.85. Carapace length: 0.85; Clypeus height: 0.2. Sternum: 0.5 in length and width; Eyes: AME: 0.09; AME-AME: 0.01; ALE-PLE: contiguous (0.05 each); PME-PME separated by 0.07 (PME 0.06). Legs: I femur 1.25/ patella 0.4/ tibia 1/ metatarsus 0.7/ tarsus 0.6/ total 3.95; II 1.05/ 0.35/ 0.9/ 0.6/ 0.55/ 3.45; III 0.8/ 0.3/ 0.55/ 0.4/ 0.36/ 2.41; IV 1/ 0.3/ 0.75/ 0.5/ 0.34/ 2.89. Palp: embolus with a distal apophysis, which covers the tip of the embolus (fig. 22E). Median apophysis with an elongated tip, but with a small curvature at its apex (fig. 22C). Abdomen oval.

Female (paratype, UFMG 14216 ). Same color pattern as male. Abdomen oval, length: 2.5. Total length: 2.7. Carapace length: 1. Clypeus height: 0.17. Sternum: 0.55 in length and width. Eyes: AME: 0.1; AME-AME: 0.02; ALE-PLE: contiguous (0.08 each); PME-PME separated by 0.07 ( PME 0.09). Legs: I femur 1.05/ patella 0.35/ tibia 0.8/ metatarsus 0.7/ tarsus 0.5/ total 3.4; II 1/ 0.31/ 0.7/ 0.5/ 0. 4/2.91; III 0.75/ 0.28/ 0.55/ 0.45/ 0.4/ 2.43; IV 0.95/ 0.35/ 0.7/ 0.5/ 0.37/ 2.87. Epigynum: epigynal plate with thick transversal groove (fig. 22F). Copulatory ducts abruptly curved (fig. 22F, G) .

Distribution. Record only from the type locality (fig. 23).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Plato hamatus n. sp., from Varzea da Palma, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A, male body, dorsal view; B, female body, dorsal view; C–E, male palp, left; C, mesal view; D, prolateral view; E, embolic division, prolateral view, illustration; F, epigynum, ventral view, clarified; G, dorsal view, illustration. Abbreviations, C, conductor. CA, conductor apophysis. CD, copulatory ducts. CP, central pit. Cy, cymbium. DP, dorsal plate. E, embolus. FD, fertilization ducts. MA, median apophysis. O, embolic opening. PC, paracymbium. S, spermathecae. ST, subtegulum. T, tegulum. TG, transversal groove. Scales: A, B, 2; C, D, E, 0.2; F, G, 0.1.

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