Platocoelotes furcatus, 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 : 53-55

Platocoelotes furcatus sp. nov.

Figs 3A–G , 5

Type material: Holotype male, 3 male and 2 female paratypes, CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Longlin County, Yanchang Town, Weiyao Village, Xiaoshuidong Cave (24º51.728´N, 105º10.694´E, Alt: 950m, Te: 14ºC, Hu: 85%), 17 March 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.; 3 male and 2 female paratypes, CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Longlin County, Yanchang Town, unnamed Cave (24º51.774´N, 105º12.032´E, Alt: 952m, Te: 15ºC, Hu: 80%), 17 March 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.

Etymology: The specific name is taken from the Latin word furca, -ae, meaning fork, and refers to the furcate conductor of this species; adjective.

Diagnosis: The new species can be separated from other Platocoelotes species by its uniquely furcated distal conductor margin, the long and narrow copulatory ducts, originating laterally from the atrium.

Description. Male (measurements of the holotype): Measurements: Total length 5.4. Prosoma length 2.6, width 2.0; Opisthosoma length 2.8, width 1.6. From front, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME smallest, ALE slightly larger than AME, PME slightly smaller than PLE, but 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: 11.5 (3.2, 3.2, 3.1, 2.0); II: 10.4 (2.9, 3.1, 2.6, 1.8); III: 9.8 (2.5, 3.0, 2.7, 1.6); IV: 13.6 (3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 2.1). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Patellar apophysis relatively long, its length subequal to half of patellar width; RTA with its distal end sharp and slightly extending beyond distal margin of tibia; lateral tibial apophysis small, less than one-fifth of RTA from a retrolateral view and widely separated from RTA (the distance between the RTA and the lateral tibial apophysis about half of tibial width); cymbial furrow about one-fourth of cymbial length; conductor exhibiting a long and wide cavity (its length more than half of cymbial length, its width of the widest part subequal to half of its length from a ventral view), distal conductor margin furcated, the branch clavate; dorsal conductor apophysis large; ventral conductor apophysis long (its length about half of cymbial length, its width of the widest part about one-fourth its length from a ventral view), blunt, strongly extended proximally, almost reaching the distal end of RTA; tegulum less developed, indistinct in a ventral view; embolus filiform, arising in a 6- o’clock-position, running prolaterally in a semicircle, then lying in conductor ( Figs 3A–E ).

Female (measurements of paratype): Measurements: Total length 6.2. Prosoma length 2.7, width 2.0; Opisthosoma length 3.5, width 2.5. 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: 10.5 (2.8, 3.5, 2.5, 1.7); II: 8.1 (2.5, 2.2, 2.0, 1.4); III: 7.7 (2.1, 2.5, 2.0, 1.1); IV: 11.3 (2.8, 3.6, 3.1, 1.8). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Epigynal hoods situated posteriorly, the distance between epigynal hoods and epigastric furrow about one-fourth atrium length; atrium large, occupying two-thirds of epigynum; copulatory ducts narrow (its width less than one-third of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), originating laterally; spermathecae simple, situated close together; spermathecal heads short (its length about one-fifth of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), situated anteriorly ( Figs 3F– G ).

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

Figures

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

FIGURES 3 A – G. Platocoelotes furcatus sp. nov., A. Male pedipalpus, ventral view; B. Dorsal conductor apophysis, retrolateral view; C. Male pedipalpus, retrolateral view; D. Same, prolateral view; E. Epigynum, ventral view; F. Vulva, dorsal view; G. Male cheliceral teeth, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.