Platocoelotes strombuliformis, 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 : 55-57

Platocoelotes strombuliformis sp. nov.

Figs 4A–F , 5

Type material: Holotype male, 2 male and 30 female paratypes, CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dahua County, Jiangnan Town, Damo Village, Huangniudong Cave (23º55.120´N, 107º37.479´E, Alt: 175m, Te: 19ºC, Hu: 90%), 8 March 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Greek strombos, meaning a top, a spiral shell, and the Latin suffix - formis, -e, meaning -shaped, referring to the spiral shape of spermathecae of this species; adjective.

Diagnosis: The female of this species can be distinguished from other Platocoelotes species by the adjacent, uniquely strombuliform spermathecae, the wide copulatory ducts, originating posterolaterally in the genital atrium. The male is similar to P. furcatus sp. nov. in having a long ventral conductor apophysis, a large dorsal conductor apophysis and a modified conductor, but can be distinguished from P. furcatus sp. nov. by the absence of furcated distal conductor margin, and the relatively large lateral tibial apophysis situated close to the RTA.

Description. Male (measurements of the holotype): Measurements: Total length 7.3. Prosoma length 3.5, width 2.8; Opisthosoma length 3.8, width 2.0. 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; AME–AME, AME–ALE and ALE–PLE close together, both PME–PLE and PME–PME about half of AME diameter. Clypeal height about four-fifths AME diameter. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements: I: 16.0 (4.1, 5.7, 4.0, 2.2); II: 14.9 (3.7, 4.9, 3.9, 2.4); III: 14.4 (3.7, 4.5, 4.1, 2.1); IV: 19.5 (4.9, 5.9, 6.1, 2.6). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Patellar apophysis long, its

length subequal to the patellar width; RTA with its distal end blunt and slightly extending beyond distal margin of tibia; lateral tibial apophysis relatively large, about one-fourth of RTA from a retrolateral view and adjacent to RTA; cymbial furrow about half of cymbial length; conductor exhibiting a short and wide cavity (its length subequal to one-third of cymbial length, its width of the widest part slightly more than half of its length from a ventral view); dorsal conductor apophysis large; ventral conductor apophysis long (its length slightly more than one-third of cymbial length, its width of the widest part about one-sixth its length from a ventral view), strongly extending proximally; tegulum relatively undeveloped comparing to subtegulum in a prolateral view; embolus filiform, arising in a 6-o’clock-position, running prolaterally in a semicircle, then lying in conductor ( Figs 4A–D ).

Female (measurements of paratype): Measurements: Total length 8.0. Prosoma length 3.5, width 2.8; Opisthosoma length 4.5, width 3.1. From front, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME smallest, ALE slightly larger than AME, PLE slightly larger than ALE, but smaller than PME; AME–AME, AME–ALE and ALE–PLE close together, both PME–PLE and PME–PME about half of AME diameter. Clypeal height about AME diameter. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements as follows: I: 13.6 (3.5, 4.7, 3.3, 2.1); II: 11.4 (3.4, 4.0, 2.8, 1.2); III: 11.2 (3.2, 3.6, 2.9, 1.5); IV: 15.1 (4.0, 4.8, 4.3, 2.0). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Epigynal hoods situated posteriorly, the distance between epigynal hoods and epigastric furrow about one-fifth atrium length; atrium large, occupying two-thirds of epigynum, almost rectangular; copulatory ducts wide (its width more than half of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), originating posterolaterally; spermathecae simple, strombuliform and strongly adjacent to each other; spermathecal heads long (its length more than half of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), situated anterolaterally and extending transversely ( Figs 4E–F ).

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

Figures

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

FIGURES 4 A – F. Platocoelotes strombuliformis sp. nov., A. Male pedipalpus, prolateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Same, retrolateral view; D. Epigynum, ventral view; E. Vulva, dorsal view; F. Male cheliceral teeth, ventral view. Scale bars: A – C = 0.1 mm, D – F = 0.2 mm.