Platocoelotes ampulliformis, 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 : 49-51

Platocoelotes ampulliformis sp. nov.

Figs 1A–G , 5

Type material: Holotype male, 2 male and 13 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Nayong County, Laowaba Town, Baqingjiao Village, Qingwadong Cave (26º50.309´N, 105º30.325´E, Alt: 1420m, Te: 10ºC, Hu: 90%), 27 April 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.; 3 male and 7 female paratypes, CHINA: Guizhou Province, Xishui County, Donghuang Town, Mulanba Village, Rongdong Cave (28º19.500´N, 106º10.112´E, Alt: 1180m, Te: 13ºC, Hu: 94%), 9 May 2007, Yucheng Lin & Jie Liu leg.

Etymology: The specific name is a compound word from the Latin ampulla, meaning flask, ampulla, and the Latin suffix - formis, -e, meaning -shaped, and refers to the ampullate atrium of this species; adjective.

Diagnosis: The new species can be distinguished from other Platocoelotes species by its unique conductor that is strongly modified, having a long and narrow cavity in males, and by its uniquely ampullaceous atrium in females.

Description. Male (measurements of the holotype): Total length 5.8. Prosoma length 2.8, width 2.2; Opisthosoma length 3.0, width 2.1. From front, anterior eye row slightly recurved, posterior row procurved; eye sizes and arrangements: AME smallest, ALE subequal to PME and slightly smller than PLE; AME-AME, AME–ALE and ALE–PLE close together, PME–PLE about one-third AME diameter, PME–PME separated by roughly half of AME diameter. Clypeal height about half of AME diameter or slightly more. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements: I: 13.9 (3.5, 4.5, 2.4, 3.5); II: 11.3 (3.2, 3.2, 2.9, 2.0); III: 10.5 (2.8, 3.1, 2.8, 1.8); IV: 14.5 (3.6, 4.2, 4.5, 2.2). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Patellar apophysis long, its length subequal to the width of patella; RTA with its distal end blunt and slightly extending beyond distal margin of tibia; lateral tibial apophysis short, about less than one-fifth of RTA from a retrolateral view and adjacent to RTA; cymbial furrow about one-third of cymbial length; conductor exhibiting a long and narrow cavity (its length almost half of cymbial length, its width of the widest part about one-fourth its length from a ventral view), sheath-like; distal conductor margin slightly curved; dorsal conductor apophysis small; ventral conductor apophysis short and blunt (its length about one-fifth of cymbial length, its width of the widest part about half of its length from a ventral view); tegulum undeveloped, indistinct in a ventral view; embolus filiform, arising in a 6-o’clock-position, running prolaterally in a semicircle, then lying in conductor ( Figs 1A–E ).

Female (measurements of paratype): Total length 6.0. Prosoma length 2.8, width 2.0; Opisthosoma length 3.2, width 2.1. 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, PME–PLE about one-third AME diameter, PME–PME separated by roughly half of AME diameter. Clypeal height about AME diameter. Leg formula: IV, I, II, III; leg measurements: I: 11.8 (3.2, 3.8, 2.8, 2.0); II: 10.2 (2.8, 3.3, 2.5, 1.6); III: 9.3 (2.6, 2.9, 2.4, 1.4); IV: 12.3 (3.4, 3.8, 3.3, 1.8). Chelicerae with three promarginal and two retromarginal teeth. Epigynal hoods situated anteriorly, the distance between epigynal hoods and epigastric furrow about three-fifths of atrium length; atrium large, occupying about two-thirds of epigynum, ampullaceous; copulatory ducts wide (its width more than half of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), originating posteriorly and laterally; spermathecae simple and situated medially close together; spermathecal heads short (its length slightly less than one-fifth of the width of the widest part of spermatheca), situated posteriorly and laterally ( Figs 1F–G ).

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

Figures

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

FIGURES 1 A – G. Platocoelotes ampulliformis sp. nov., A. Male pedipalpus, ventral view; B. Same, dorsal view; C. Same, retrolateral view; D. Same, prolateral view; E. Epigynum, ventral view; F. Vulva, dorsal view; G. Male cheliceral teeth, ventral view. Scale bars: A – C, D = 0.1 mm, E, F, G = 0.2 mm.