Platorish, PLATNICK, 2002

PLATNICK, NORMAN I., 2002, A Revision Of The Australasian Ground Spiders Of The Families Ammoxenidae, Cithaeronidae, Gallieniellidae, And Trochanteriidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2002 (271), pp. 1-1 : 1-

Platorish , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Pyrnus flavitarsis (L. Koch) .

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is an arbitrary combination of letters considered masculine in gender.

DIAGNOSIS: Members of this genus can easily be distinguished from all other Australasian trochanteriids by the greatly widened carapace and rounded sternum.

DESCRIPTION: Medium­sized spiders, total length of males 5–7, of females 6–10. Carapace flattened, greatly widened, without tubercles, with rebordered lateral margins, with few scattered, dark, stiff, erect setae and few longer, erect, dark setae present (pair at rear of pars cephalica, one opposite each coxa, few at each anterolateral corner and at midline of clypeus); thoracic groove almost obsolete, represented by shallow y­shaped depression; cephalic groove pronounced, accompanied by three additional intercoxal grooves on each side. Eight eyes in two rows, anterior medians largest, circular, dark, posterior medians smallest, circular, lenses flattened but canoe­shaped tapetum apparently still present, laterals subequal, almost as large as anterior medians, oval; from above, anterior eye row slightly procurved, posterior row slightly recurved, from front, both eye rows almost straight; anterior medians separated by more than their diameter, by more than twice their diameter from anterior laterals; posterior medians separated by more than five times their diameter, about as far from posterior laterals; anterior and posterior laterals separated by more than their diameter; median ocular quadrangle much wider in back than in front or than long. Chelicerae porrect, divergent, with distinct oblique groove just below clypeus; anterior surface with stiff setae along inner margins; chilum very narrow, colulus­shaped, triangular, unipartite, accompanied by second, elongated, posterior chilum (narrow, I­shaped sclerite separating bases of chelicerae posteriorly); chelicerae with distinct lateral boss, promargin with series of strong se­ tae originating in line along base of fang, those nearest base of fang unmodified; promargin with three large, approximate teeth, proximal tooth extending onto median keel extending most of paturon length, retromargin with four small, approximate teeth; cheliceral gland openings indistinct under light microscopy. Labium rectangular, flat, posterior one­quarter narrowed, anterior margin medially incised. Endites long, parallel, with oblique depression at about half their length; serrula absent (fig. 158), long, oval, sieve plate conspicuous under light microscopy; anteromedian edges and apex bearing wide patch of long, stiff, dark setae. Sternum flat, rounded, with rebordered, slightly depressed lateral margins, expanded anteriorly into inclined lip, with only indistinct extensions to coxae, extensions between coxae represented by three pairs of narrow sclerites separated from sternal margin by unsclerotized cuticle, additional, much longer pair of narrow sclerites situated opposite lateral edges of sternal lip; surface smooth, with few long setae, posterior margin not rebordered, widely separating coxae IV. One weakly sclerotized epimeric sclerite on each side, not extending between coxae, not fused to carapace. Pedicel composed of two dorsal sclerites (anterior sclerite with deep posterior invagination receiving beak­shaped anterior extension of posterior sclerite) and weak, inverted vshaped ventral sclerite with anteriorly expanded head not reaching posterior tip of sternum.

Abdomen without dorsal or anterior scutum; cuticle with weak, recumbent setae; epigastric scutum weakly sclerotized, with wellmarked booklung openings at sides but without postepigastric sclerites, booklung covers strongly ridged; colulus represented by thick patch of very short setae situated near narrow posterior spiracle. Six spinnerets (figs. 467– 472), anterior laterals short, conical, separat­ ed by twice their diameter at base, with two articles, distal article with two major ampullate gland spigots and relatively few small, unmodified piriform gland spigots; posterior medians of males triangular, of females bipartite, anterior portion with one or two large minor ampullate gland spigots and few tiny aciniform gland spigots, enlarged posterior portion with two parallel rows, median row with three, lateral row with four large cylindrical gland spigots; posterior laterals with two articles, those of females with two large cylindrical gland spigots.

Legs laterigrade, leg formula 2314, surfaces with few long setae; coxae and trochanters without dorsal tubercles, fourth trochanters slightly elongated; anterior coxae without protuberant posterolateral corners; trochanters unnotched; anterior metatarsi and tarsi of females with undivided scopula composed of short, straight setae (scopulae often weak to absent in males); posterior metatarsi with distal preening brushes composed of row of long, thick setae; tarsi with two long claws, anterior legs with proclaw bearing long row of many tiny teeth, retroclaw smooth, posterior legs with both claws smooth, all tarsi with strong claw tufts composed of two large pads of narrow setae; tarsi without cuticular cracks, extremely short; morphologically dorsal surface with modified proximal margin consisting of patch of unsclerotized cuticle followed by strong cuticular ridge, that ridge opposing distinct distal extensions situated at distal edge of metatarsi; trichobothria present, in three rows on tarsi, two on metatarsi and tibiae. Female palpal femur with few short spines, distal segments with longer spines; female palpal tarsus with long claw bearing three to five tiny ventral teeth, without ventral scopula. Typical leg spination pattern (counts refer to morphological surfaces, only surfaces bearing spines listed): femora I–IV d1­0­0; tibiae: I, II v1p­1p­1p; III, IV v1p­1p­0; metatarsi: I v2­2­1p; II v2­ 0­1p; III, IV v0­1p­0.

Male palpal tibia short, with large retrolateral protuberance at about half its length, retrolateral apophysis sinuous, distally bifid; cymbium with thick distal scopula; cymbial surface distinctly invaginated opposite retrolateral tibial apophysis; tegulum elongated, with medially situated embolus extending across middle of bipartite median apophysis, accompanied by distally membranous conductor. External epigynum long, usually with small, anteriorly situated atrium.