Platnickina obscuratum ( Zhu, 1998 ), 2025

Huang, Guolong, Liu, Jie & Hu, Changhao, 2025, Taxonomic notes of the cobweb spider genus Platnickina Koçak & Kemal, 2008 (Araneae, Theridiidae, Theridiinae), with descriptions of two new species from southern China, ZooKeys 1250, pp. 135-154 : 135-154

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1250.158643

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:685D1F3A-3C56-454C-8BEC-F83544CC299E

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16966212

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/69DA9473-67BC-5580-BF37-812ECB53AAA3

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Platnickina obscuratum ( Zhu, 1998 )
status

comb. nov.

Platnickina obscuratum ( Zhu, 1998) comb. nov.

Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6

Theridion obscuratum Zhu 1998: 167, fig. 105 A – D ( holotype: female, China, Hubei Province: Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xuan’en County; 29.90°N, 109.40°E; 26 May 1989; Mingsheng Zhu leg.; deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, Hebei University, not examined); Song et al. 1999: 138, fig. 77 G – H (female); Zhang and Jin 2016: 620, figs 1 a – b, 2 a – e, 3 a – d (male, female); Zhou et al. 2024: 3, fig. 3 A – D (male). View in CoL

Material examined.

China – Hubei Province • 2 males, 3 females ( QZMS 02345 , 04256 , 04257 , 04259 , 04260 ); Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xuan’en County, Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, Shadaogou Town ; 29.6845 – 29.9238°N, 109.6680 – 109.7360°E; elev. 685–843 m; 21–24 July 2023; Changhao Hu and Mian Wei leg. GoogleMaps Guangdong Province • 2 females ( PWGD 2024001 , 2024002 ); Meizhou City , Pingyuan County; 24.8707°N, 115.9361°E; elev. 261 m; 11 July 2024; Chao Liu, Hailun Chen, Jingwei Kang and Yunhe Wang leg. GoogleMaps Guizhou Province • 1 female ( PWGZ 2024001 ); Bijie City , Jinsha County; 27.5456°N, 105.9750°E; elev. 826 m; 10 September 2024; Chao Liu, Guolong Huang, Hailun Chen and Yunhe Wang leg. GoogleMaps Hunan Province • 1 female ( PWHN 2024001 ); Changsha City, Ningxiang City, Shibasi ; 40.0279°N, 112.7215°E; elev. 79 m; 15 August 2024; Chao Liu, Hailun Chen, Jingwei Kang and Yunhe Wang leg. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis and description.

See Zhang and Jin (2016).

Remarks.

Although the male of this species possesses an unusual embolus (with a trapezoidal base and thin tip vs cow-horn-shaped in most other Platnickina species), the bowl-shaped subtegulum, trapezoidal tegulum, rounded ventral part of the median apophysis, pointed tegular apophysis, and black flecks on the dorsal opisthosoma are consistent with the characteristics of Platnickina (Figs 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 ). In addition, the female has an epigynal atrium, which is diagnostic of the genus (Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Therefore, we propose transferring this species to Platnickina .

Distribution.

China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Theridiidae

SubFamily

Theridiinae

Genus

Platnickina

Loc

Platnickina obscuratum ( Zhu, 1998 )

Huang, Guolong, Liu, Jie & Hu, Changhao 2025
2025
Loc

Theridion obscuratum

Zhang F & Jin C 2016: 620
Zhu MS 1998: 167
1998