Bioacoustics of Ceraticelus phylax

Description. Males (n=8). Total length ~1.55–1.80. Carapace : length 0.81–0.86 (mean 0.83), width 0.59– 0.63 (mean 0.62), light brownish to yellowish orange with narrow marginal black or dusky border, pars thoracica with fine reticulate microsculpture, without cervical constriction, outline continuing around lower clypeal region in circular fashion, narrower in front, somewhat egg shaped, margin interrupted in dorsal view by cephalic projection, rising flatly or slightly convexly to level of coxa I, then rising concavely to apex of lobe. Cephalic region : upper portion of cephalic lobe occasionally lighter in color than remainder of carapace, lobe steeply projecting anteriad lower anterior margin of carapace, high and narrow in profile ( Fig 1 ; also see Fig 33: Ivie & Barrows 1935 ), convexly descending from apex to flattened area just anterior to PME then descending concavely below most anterior convex point to lower clypeal margin; setae on each side between AME and PME directed medially, setae below AME usually directed anterodorsally; cephalic height 0.48– 0.52, cephalic width 0.28–0.31, cephalic width/carapace width 0.46–0.49 (mean 0.48), clypeal height 0.31– 0.38. Eyes : ocular area situated around top of cephalic lobe, PME ~2.0–2.8 diameters apart, either slightly anteriad or comprising highest point of lobe, PME–PLE ~0.65–1.0X PME diameter, AME relatively close together (~0.5–1.0 diameters apart) on flattened slope of anterior descending portion of lobe, ocular region usually darkened (sometimes lightly so) with black rings surrounding eyes, PME usually slightly larger than or occasionally subequal to contiguous and subequal PLE and ALE (ALE often slightly larger), AME smallest, AER slightly to moderately recurved, PER straight to slightly recurved. Chelicerae : not robust, lateral surface usually slightly concave, stridulatory striae very weakly developed ( Fig 13 ) (probably nonfunctional), palpal plectra not detected (striae detectable on cleared chelicerae at 400X magnification under transmitted light), fangs well developed, promarginal teeth 4–6, 5 most common, retromarginal denticles 2–4. Sternum and pedicel : sternum yellowish orange, wider than long, widest between coxae I & II with margin slightly projecting between coxae, widely truncate between coxae IV, posterior width subequal to length of coxa IV, dusky around margin; pedicel sclerotized, ventral sclerite surrounding ventral, lateral, and dorsolateral surfaces, dorsal sclerite narrow, separated from ventral sclerite on each side by narrow membranous lines. Abdomen : immaculate, with yellowish orange setiferous dorsal scutum, varying greatly in degree of development (both in width and length), shorter and narrower than length and width, respectively, usually extending over anterior edge but distinctly short of reaching epigastic sclerite, setal bases in soft regions surrounded by diminutive sclerites, soft areas pale, yellowish-white, all ventral sclerites yellowish orange, epigastric sclerite heavily sclerotized, widely surrounding pedicel, laterally extending slightly distad of epigastric furrow, posterolateral edges curving mesally, epigastric plates with imbricated stridulatory striae ( Fig 12 ) (visible after dissection and clearing using compound microscope at magnification of 200X), cuticular stridulatory plectra on posterodistal corners of hind coxae; inframammillary sclerite more weakly sclerotized than epigastric sclerite, confined to ventral surface. Legs : lighter than carapace, more yellowish to yellowish-white, leg I longer than leg IV, length femur I (LFI) usually slightly greater than carapace width (CW), occasionally (in one male) equal, length leg I (LLI) to carapace width (LLI)/CW) 3.40–3.65, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, Tibia I (TiI) l/d 6.8–7.5, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.51–0.56, TmIV absent. Palp : patella long, more robust than femur but slightly shorter, dorsolaterally swollen in proximal third ( Fig 5 ) resulting in a ventromedial orientation of patella, length patella 0.35–0.39, length femur 0.41–0.43, tibia short, tibial apophysis extending laterally (horizontal portion), bending apically at right angle just slightly past midpoint, more or less parallel sided until beginning of bend then attenuate (vertical portion) through bend to sharp terminus (PTA: Fig 4 ); tibial trichobothria not detected. Palpal bulb : cymbium with small dorsolateralsubbasal angular protrusion (Cap: Figs 4, 5 ), broadest mesolaterally with single transverse row of laterally curving setae ( Figs 4, 5 ); paracymbium forming proximal half of ventrolateral outline of cymbium, with incomplete fission from cymbium (refer to introductory comments in this section), more or less widely sigmoid in shape (left palp viewed with anterior end up) ( Figs 5, 6 , 11 ) with narrow apical free darkened finger, greatly widening through curves and narrowing proximally; membrane extending from near base of finger, terminating in scale-like structure adhering to the cymbium (Pm, Psc, respectively: Figs 6 , 11 ); suprategulum with a short sclerotized distal suprategular apophysis (DSA: Fig 3 ), notched on its ventroectal margin, with base of ejaculatory duct apparently lying within notch and supported by the structure; column sclerotized, somewhat more lightly so than suprategular apophysis (CL: Fig 3 ); radical division of bulb with long spiraled tailpiece curving into and terminating mesobasally in alveolus (TP: Fig 3 ); embolic division spiraling apically ~one and a quarter turns with embolic ribbon terminating dorsally at distal edge of mesal side of cymbium, ejaculatory duct spiraling off embolic ribbon preapically in ventral direction for ~one and a half turns, apex resting in cradle between tegulum and protegulum just behind base of finger of tegular sclerite (ED: Fig 3 ; also see Fig 35: Ivie & Barrows 1935 ); tegular sclerite (Tscl) with distal finger elongated (fg: Figs 3, 5 ; also see Figs 34, 35: Ivie & Barrows 1935 ). Females (n=12). Total length ~1.5–1.85. Carapace : length 0.63–0.74 (mean 0.70), width 0.52–0.59 (mean 0.57), color and dusky marginal band as in male, with very slight cervical constriction at most, in profile rising most abruptly posteriorly at relatively flat incline to level between coxae II & III then gradually to highest point just behind or at level of PME ( Fig 7 ), pars thoracica with fine reticulate micosculpture, cephalic height 0.27–0.31, ocular width/carapace width 0.44–0.50 (mean 0.46), clypeal height 0.13–0.16. Eyes : AER & PER usually straight sometimes slightly recurved, PME ~0.7–1.0 diameters apart, PME–PLE ~0.45–0.60X PME diameter, PME and ALE usually subequal in size, PLE usually slightly smaller, PEs contiguous, AME smallest, ~0.45–0.70 diameters apart, black rings around eyes, eye region darkened ( Fig 7 ). Chelicerae : more stout than in male, stridulatory striae not detected (on cleared chelicerae at 400X magnification under transmitted light), 4–5 promarginal teeth, 5 most common, 2–4 retromarginal denticles, 3 most common. Sternum and pedicel : sternum usually as in male although length occasionally equals width, pedicel as in males. Abdomen : immaculate, lacking dorsal shield, muscle impressions with rounded sclerites distinctly larger than diminutive sclerites surrounding setal bases, soft areas pale, yellowish-white, coloration of ventral sclerites as in males, epigastric sclerite well developed widely surrounding pedicel, membranous lines separating median portion from lateral, epigastric plate stridulatory striae, coxal plectra, sclerites of pedicel, and inframammillary sclerite as in males. Legs and palps : coloration of legs as in male, length leg I less than, equal to, or greater than length leg IV, LLI/CW 3.24–3.62, LFI/CW 0.92–1.06, tibia I longer than metatarsus I, TiI l/d 5.7–6.7, tibial spines absent, TmI 0.45–0.59, TmIV absent, palpal tibia with 2 trichbothria. Epigynum : with laterally positioned spermathcae usually curved toward each other like parentheses, directed anteriad to slightly anteromediad (S: Fig 8 ); dorsal plate triangular in shape (DP: Fig 9 ), narrowing anteriorly, anterior edges forming medial borders of genital openings, in ventral view plate often appearing as an inverted ‘T’ with posterior transverse portion appearing either rectangular or triangular (DP: Fig 8 ); copulatory openings beneath internal darkened semicircular ridges that extend from beneath anterior portion of dorsal plate to the posterolateral edges of the plate near base of spermathecae ( Fig 8 ; also see Fig 36: Ivie & Barrows 1935 ); copulatory ducts leaving openings in dorsolateral direction, travelling anteriorly then turning toward the ventral surface slightly posteriad of or at level of apex of spermatheca in a tight posteromesally directed loop (CD: Fig 10 ), continuing posteriorly then anteriorly in a loose U-shaped loop (CD: Figs 8, 10 ; also see Fig 36: Ivie & Barrows 1935 ), forming the second tight loop (usually at the same level as the first, sometimes slightly posteriad) that curves dorsally and then proceeds posteriorly, finally emptying into base of spermatheca dorsomesally (CD: Fig 10 ).