Taxonomic revision of the orb weaving spider genus Plato Coddington, 1986 (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) with the description of three new species Author Prete, Pedro H. Author Brescovit, Antonio D. text Zootaxa 2024 2024-06-17 5471 1 1 32 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5471.1.1 journal article 298723 10.11646/zootaxa.5471.1.1 102c1f2e-a001-4fcc-a8f4-a55e7fddc32c 1175-5326 12189464 AB362023-F807-49EB-AB62-8B862DA9917D Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986 Figures 3 , 4 , 23 Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986: 29 , figs. 10–12, 23–28 (male holotype and female paratype from Cueva Los Tayos ( 03º06’S , 78º12’W ), Morona Santiago , Ecuador , Ecuadorian British Los Tayos Expedition col., deposited in MCZ, not examined); Coddington, 1990: 19, fig. 104; Lopez, 1996: 192 , fig. 7. Other material examined. ECUADOR . Napo : Archidona , Caverna Oriente ( 0°54'31.0"S , 77°48'35.0"W ), 5♀ , 23.iv.1994 , V. Roth col. ( CAS ; 1♀ MEV) . Diagnosis. Male's palps resemble that of Plato omnipraesens n. sp. , especially the conductor apophysis (fig. 19B, C), but it differs by present a flattened conductor apophysis (fig. 3C), an elongated median apophysis and by the subrectrangular tip of embolus (fig. 3C). Females are recognized by the narrow, slightly curved transversal groove of the epigynum, with a support as thin as the transversal groove (fig. 4B, D), and the poorly sclerotized dorsal plate in the epigynum (fig. 4E). Description. Male: see Coddington (1986) : 29, figs. 10–12, 23, 24, 27, 28. Female (CAS). Carapace, legs, labium, endites and chelicerae brown. Sternum little darker than the rest of the prosoma. Abdomen gray, length: 1.86 Total length: 2.88. Carapace length: 1.32. Clypeus height: 0.24. Sternum: 0.72 in length and width. Eyes: AME 0.1; AME-AME 0.04; ALE-PLE contiguous (0.1 each); PME-PME separated by 0.09 (PME 0.1). Legs: I femur 1.55/ patella 0.57/ tibia 1.35/ metatarsus 0.82/ tarsus 0.68/ total 4.97; II 1.37/ 0.52/ 1.15/ 0.77/ 0.7/ 4.51; III 1/ 0.45/ 0.75/ 0.57/ 0.52/ 3.29; IV 1.25/ 0.37/ 0.8/ 0.55/ 0.51/ 3.48. Epigynum: dorsal plate posterior to spermathecae (fig. 4E). Copulatory ducts with a rounded curve in the anterior region (fig. 4C). Abdomen oval. Variation. 5 females : total length: 2.48–2.88; carapace: 1.15–1.32; femur I: 1.4–1.75. Distribution. Caves in the departments of Morona Santiago and Napo , Ecuador (fig. 23). Note. Male of P. troglodita was examined only by photos and illustrations presented by Coddington (1986) because there was no access to the type material.