Plator serratus, Lin, Ye-Jie & Zhu, Guang-Xiang, 2016

Lin, Ye-Jie & Zhu, Guang-Xiang, 2016, A new species of the spider genus Plator (Trochanteriidae) from south China, Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 189-192 : 189-192

Plator serratus sp. nov.

Figs 1 A–G, 2A–H, 3A–B, 4

Type material. Holotype male, CHINA: Sichuan: Ya’an City, Yucheng District, Mt. Laoban , 29°58'32.8"N, 102°59'46.4"E, elev. 587m, 22 October 2014, Y.J. Lin leg . Paratypes: 3 males and 3 females, with same data as holotype ( SWUC) ; CHINA: Chongqing: 6 females, Jinyun Mountain National Nature Reserve, 29°50′12″N, 106°23′45″E, elev. 749m, 0 9 June 2014, X.W. Meng & J. Yang leg. ( SWUC) .

Etymology. The specific name comes from a Latin word “ serratus ” meaning serrated, referring to the shape of apex of the embolic basal process; adjective.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to P. bowo ( Zhu et al., 2006) in having a wider RTA and an expanded embolic base. However, it can be distinguished by the relatively short and wide RTA, the serrated apophysis of the embolic base and the straightly protruding median apophysis ( Figs 1 G, 2B–E) of the male pedipalp, and the length of copulatory ducts about 1/3 of the female epigyne.

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 1 A, E–G, 2C–F) total length 6.58. Prosoma 2.72 long, 4.06 wide; opisthosoma 3.81 long, 3.93 wide. Carapace yellow brown, semicircle, sparsely set with brown hairs, margin evenly with spines. Anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior eye row recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.13, PME 0.13, PLE 0.16, AME–AME 0.12, AME–ALE 0.14, PME–PME 0.23, PME–PLE 0.29. MOA 0.32 long, front width 0.40, back width 0.48. Clypeus height 0.08. Chelicerae with three promarginal, three retromarginal teeth. Endites, clypeus pale yellow, longer than wide. Sternum pale yellow, sparsely set with brown hairs. Legs yellow brown, metatarsi, tarsi darker. When alive, legs I–II, femora III–IV red brown, rest dark brown. I 10.23 (3.54, 3.67, 1.91, 1.11); II 14.77 (4.88, 5.40, 3.14, 1.35); III 13.97 (4.71, 5.00, 2.98, 1.28); IV 11.64 (3.86, 3.84, 2.81, 1.13); Leg formula: 2341. Opisthosoma almost circular, widest at middle. Dorsum yellow brown, dorsal surface with vast dark brown hairs. Venter yellow brown, edges darker.

Male palp ( Figs 1 E–G, 2C–E). RTA longer than wide. Embolic base with many serrated processes. Conductor membraneous, originating between embolic base and median apophysis. Median apophysis developed, straight with sharp apex in ventral view. Embolus thin, short.

One female paratype (collected from Mt. Laoban, Figs 1 B–D, 2A–B) total length 9.57. Prosoma 3.22 long, 5.19 wide; opisthosoma 6.10 long, 5.53 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.15, PME 0.15, PLE 0.17; AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.34, PME–PLE 0.43, ALE–PLE 0.29. MOA 0.42 long, front width 0.51, back width 0.62. Clypeus height 0.11. Appearance of opisthosoma and legs as male. Leg measurements: I 11.35 (4.09, 4.1, 1.91, 1.25); II 17.07 (5.87, 6.4, 3.34, 1.46); III 16.9 (5.92, 6.15, 3.42, 1.41); IV 13.44 (4.78, 4.56, 2.96, 1.14). Leg formula: 2341.

Epigyne ( Figs 1 C–D, 2A–B) butterfly-like. Copulatory ducts short, thick, V-shaped. Two pairs of receptacle located behind copulatory ducts. One larger pair, close to copulatory openings, termed subspermathecae according Zhang & Zhang (2013) in Hahniidae . Smaller pair, termed spermathecae, connected with fertilization ducts.

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Chongqing) ( Fig. 4 ).

Remark. Individuals of the new species were collected under the bark of Platanus orientalis in Mt. Laoban of Sichuan, while under tiles around the house of residents in Mt. Jinyun of Chongqing.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Plator serratus sp. nov., holotype male (A, E – G) and female paratype (B – D) from Mt. Laoban. A. Male habitus, dorsal view. B. Female habitus, dorsal view. C. Epigyne, ventral view. D. Vulva, dorsal view. E. Left male palp, prolateral view. F. Same, ventral view. G. Same, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Plator serratus sp. nov.