Platnickina submaculata Hu & Liu, 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.16966210
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/908A76B3-72C5-5FFD-AB8C-A6B307934911
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Platnickina submaculata Hu & Liu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Platnickina submaculata Hu & Liu sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 12 View Figure 12

Type material.

Holotype male ( QZMS 00885 ): China – Hubei Province • Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xuan’en County, Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, Chunmuying Town , Huoshaobao ; 30.0242°N, 109.7565°E; elev. 1919 m; 13 July 2023; Changhao Hu and Mian Wei leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes • 2 females ( QZMS 05463 , 05464 ): same data as for holotype GoogleMaps .

Etymology.

The specific name is a combination of the Latin preposition “ sub ” and “ maculata ”, referring to the resemblance of this species with Platnickina maculata ( Yoshida, 2001) ; an adjective.

Diagnosis.

The male of Platnickina submaculata Hu & Liu , sp. nov. is similar to P. maculata ( Yoshida, 2001) in having a cow-horn-shaped embolus (cf. Fig. 1 A – E View Figure 1 and figs 48, 49 in Yoshida 2001) but can be distinguished from the latter by: (1) the conductor with a beak-shaped, sclerotized distal part (vs conductor thin, with a pointed tip); (2) the basal part of the embolus wider than the tegulum in ventral view (vs narrower). The male of P. submaculata Hu & Liu , sp. nov. is also similar to P. xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992), comb. nov. in having a cow-horn-shaped embolus and a trapezoidal tegular apophysis (cf. Fig. 1 A – E View Figure 1 and Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ) but can be distinguished from P. xianfengense by: (1) the conductor wide with a beak-shaped distal part (vs with rounded tip); (2) the distal part of the embolus pointing toward the 2: 30 o’clock direction in ventral view (vs 1 o’clock direction).

The female of Platnickina submaculata Hu & Liu , sp. nov. is similar to P. fritilla Gao & Li, 2014 in having simple copulatory ducts (cf. Fig. 2 A – C View Figure 2 and figs 61 C, D, 63 A, B in Gao and Li 2014) but can be distinguished from P. fritilla by: (1) the atrium almost as large as the spermathecae (vs much smaller than the spermathecae); (2) the copulatory ducts curved (vs straight); (3) the spermathecae widely separated (vs touching). The female of P. submaculata Hu & Liu , sp. nov. is also similar to P. maculata ( Yoshida, 2001) in having a rounded atrium almost as large as the spermathecae (cf. Fig. 2 A – C View Figure 2 and figs 46, 47 in Yoshida 2001) but can be distinguished by the curved copulatory ducts (vs straight).

Description.

Male: total length 2.66; carapace length 1.30, width 1.05; opisthosoma length 1.55, width 1.09; eye diameters: AME 0.11, ALE 0.08, PME 0.10, PLE 0.08; eye interdistances: AME – AME 0.15, ALE – AME 0.05, PME – PME 0.10, PLE – PME 0.08, AME – PME 0.10, ALE – PLE 0.00; leg measurements [leg III missing]: I – (2.50, 0.43, 2.38, 1.97, –), II 6.26 (1.98, 0.41, 1.77, 1.59, 0.51), IV 4.32 (1.39, 0.39, 0.93, 1.15, 0.46). Chelicerae with one promarginal tooth, without retromarginal tooth (Fig. 1 F View Figure 1 ).

Palp (Fig. 1 A – E View Figure 1 ): tibia almost 2 / 3 length of cymbium. Subtegulum bowl-shaped. Tegulum trapezoidal in ventral view. Median apophysis with a rounded ventral part. Tegular apophysis wide, trapezoidal, extending beyond embolus. Conductor membranous, with beak-shaped and sclerotized distal part. Embolus cow-horn-shaped, basal part with a process locking into the tegular pit.

Colouration (Fig. 3 A – C View Figure 3 ): carapace yellow, anterior part light red, with an inverted T-shaped black marking between PMEs; median part of carapace with an inverted triangular black marking. Sternum light orange, with black margins. Chelicerae, endites, and labium light brown. Legs yellow to light orange, with black markings. Dorsal opisthosoma light red, with black flecks, medially with a wide black longitudinal marking branched posteriorly; venter yellowish grey, anterior part with an axe-shaped black marking, posteriorly with a black round marking, laterally with black lines. Spinnerets light brown.

Female: total length 2.87; carapace length 1.19, width 1.07; opisthosoma length 1.95, width 1.93; eye diameters: AME 0.12, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.07; eye interdistances: AME – AME 0.11, ALE – AME 0.04, PME – PME 0.11, PLE – PME 0.08, AME – PME 0.08, ALE – PLE 0.00; leg measurements: I 6.20 (1.98, 0.34, 1.79, 1.59, 0.50), II 5.01 (1.61, 0.34, 1.34, 1.25, 0.47), III 3.44 (1.15, 0.32, 0.64, 0.89, 0.44), IV 3.92 (1.28, 0.36, 0.81, 1.02, 0.45). Leg formula 1243. Chelicerae with one promarginal tooth, without retromarginal tooth (Fig. 2 D View Figure 2 ).

Epigyne (Fig. 2 A – C View Figure 2 ): epigynal field almost as wide as long, posteriorly with a rounded atrium. Copulatory ducts curved, almost as long as diameter of spermathecae. Spermathecae spherical. Fertilization ducts slightly curved, originating from posterior part of spermathecae.

Colouration (Fig. 3 D – F View Figure 3 ): carapace light yellow, medially with a rectangular black marking. Sternum light yellow, with black margins. Dorsal opisthosoma grey, posteriorly with 5 pairs of black spots. Other somatic characters as in male.

Distribution.

Known only from type locality ( China, Hubei Province) (Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).