Plato bruneti ( Gertsch, 1960 )

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 : 11-12

Plato bruneti ( Gertsch, 1960)

Figures 7 , 8 , 23

Maymena bruneti Gertsch, 1960: 37 , figs 65–67 (female holotype and three female paratypes from Lopinot (East) cave , Saint George, Trinidad, P. C. J. Brunet col., deposited in AMNH, examined by photos).

Plato bruneti : Coddington, 1986: 31, fig. 14–22

Material examined. TRINIDAD. Saint Andrew, Valencia Ward, Oropouche Cave (61°10’W, 10°42’N), 12♂, 61♀, 09.ii.1984, J. Coddington col. ( USNM) . BRAZIL. Pará: Senador José Porfírio, right margins from Rio Xingu (51°46'W, 03°4'S), 1♂, 03.iii.2001 ( MPEG. ARA 4811 , SEM) .

Diagnosis. The male of Plato bruneti is recognized by the conductor apophysis with denticulate tip (fig. 7B, D) and by the conspicuous ventral tegular projection (fig. 7B). Females are recognized by the mid-posteriorly lighter projection of the support in the transversal groove of the epigyna (fig. 8B).

Description. Male (MPEG.ARA 4811). Carapace and legs light brown. Chelicerae, labium, endites, and sternum brown. Abdomen grayish, length: 1.15. Total length: 2.1. Carapace length: 1. Clypeus height: 0.2. Sternum: 0.5 in length and width. Eyes: AME: 0.1; AME-AME: 0.04; ALE-PLE: contiguous (0.06 each); PME-PME separated by 0.08 (PME 0.1). Legs: I femur 1.2/ patella 0.45/ tibia 1/ metatarsus 0.7/ tarsus 0.5/ total 3.85; II 1/ 0.4/ 0.82/ 0.6/ 0.55/ 3.37; III 0.74/ 0.3/ 0.56/ 0.4/ 0.4/ 2.4; IV 0.86/ 0.35/ 0.7/ 0.5/ 0.42/ 2.83. Palp. Cymbium with elongated and rectilinear lamellae (fig. 7E). Embolus with a long distal apophysis, close to the conductor, exceeding the tip of the embolus (fig. 7C, F). Abdomen oval.

Female (AMNH). See Coddington (1986: 31, figs. 14, 15, 18–20). Complement: transversal groove remarkable (fig. 8B, C). Dorsal plate ellipsoidal, covering the spermathecae (fig. 8D). Copulatory ducts large (fig. 8D). *Note: based on the dorsal plate of the other Plato species, it is inferred that the structure not named by Coddington, 1986, is a dorsal plate in fig. 8D.

Note: Female of P. bruneti was examined by photos taken by L.F.M. Iniesta and illustrations presented by Coddington (1986) because there was no access to the type material.

Distribution. State of Pará, Brazil and Trinidad (fig. 23).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Plato bruneti, from Valencia Ward, Saint Andrew, Trinidad. A, male body, dorsal view; B, D, F, male palp, left; B, mesal view; C, embolus, distal view, illustration; D, palp expanded, ventral view; E, cymbium, ventral view, SEM; F, bulb of palp, ventral view, SEM. Abbreviations, C, conductor. CA, conductor apophysis. CL, cymbial lamella. Cy, cymbium. E, embolus. EA, embolic apophysis. MA, median apophysis. O, embolic opening. PC, paracymbium. ST, subtegulum. T, tegulum. Scales: A, 0.1; B, C, D, 0.2; E, F, 0.1.

FIGURE 8. Plato bruneti, from Saint George, Trinidad. A, female body, dorsal view; B, C, epigynum, ventral view; C, illustration; D, illustration, dorsal view (photos A, B from L.F.M. Iniesta; Illustrations C, D adapted from Coddington (1986). Abbreviations: CD, copulatory ducts. DP, dorsal plate. FD, fertilization ducts. S, spermathecae. TG, transversal groove. Scales: A, 1; B, 0.3; C, D, 0.5.

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