Platnickina xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992)

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

Platnickina xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992) comb. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 9

Theridion xianfengense Zhu and Song 1992 : 5, figs I – J (holotype: male, China, Hubei Province: Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xianfeng County; 31.00°N, 110.05°E; 4 June 1989; deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, Hebei University, not examined); Song and Li 1997: 403, fig. 5 A – B (male); Zhu 1998: 154, fig. 95 A – E (male, female); Yoshida et al. 2000: 127, figs 19, 20 (male).

Theridion xianfengense Song et al. 1999 : 148, fig. 82 A, B, K, O (male, female); Yin et al. 2012: 419, fig. 187 a – e (male, female); Zhang et al. 2022: 48, fig. 27 A – G (male, female).

Material examined.

China – Hubei Province • 5 males, 2 females ( QZMS 02417 , 03646–03648 , 03651 , 04261 , 04262 ); Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xuan’en County, Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve ; 30.0241 – 30.0764°N, 109.6557 – 109.7763°E; elev. 645–1777 m; 1–12 July 2023; Changhao Hu and Mian Wei leg. – Fujian Province • 8 males, 6 females ( PWFJ 2024001–2024014 ); Zhangzhou City , Zhangpu County; 24.0614°N, 117.6771°E; elev. 80 m; 15 July 2024; Chao Liu, Hailun Chen, Jingwei Kang and Yunhe Wang leg.

Diagnosis and description.

See Yin et al. (2012).

Remarks.

This species is similar to Platnickina maculata , the type species of the genus Platnickina , and shares all the diagnostic characteristics of the genus, including the cow-horn-shaped embolus that forms a locking mechanism with the tegulum, the epigyne with an atrium, and black flecks on the dorsal opisthosoma (Figs 7 – 9 ). Therefore, we propose transferring this species to Platnickina .

Distribution.

China (Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Hubei, Sichuan, Taiwan).

The sterninotata group

Diagnosis. The sterninotata group (Fig. 10 A – E ; figs 96 B – E, 101 B – E in Zhu 1998) can be distinguished from the antoni and maculata groups by the following combination of characteristics: (1) the embolic base with a membranous retrolateral margin; (2) the atrium with two large copulatory openings; (3) copulatory ducts coiled, obviously longer than the diameters of spermathecae.

Members of the sterninotata group are similar to species of Chrosiothes Simon, 1894 from eastern Asia in having black flecks on the opisthosoma, the male palp with a membranous embolic basal margin, and the epigyne with a large atrium (cf. Fig. 10 A – E ; figs 96 B – E, 101 B – E in Zhu 1998 and fig. 172 B – D in Zhu 1998; figs 12–15, 17, 18 in Yoshida et al. 2000) but can be distinguished from the latter by: (1) the median apophysis unbranched (vs branched in Asian Chrosiothes species); (2) the atrium with a rounded posterior margin (vs with a triangular posterior margin in Asian Chrosiothes species).

Members of the sterninotata group are also similar to that of Coleosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 in having a pointed tegular apophysis (cf. Fig. 10 A – E ; figs 96 B – E, 101 B – E in Zhu 1998 and figs 40 B, C, F, 41 B, C, E, 42 B – D in Zhu 1998) but can be distinguished from the latter by: (1) the ventral part of median apophysis rounded (vs pointed); (2) the embolus with a membranous retrolateral base (vs sclerotized totally); (3) the epigyne with an atrium (vs without an atrium, except Co. floridanum Banks, 1900 ).

Composition. Platnickina adamsoni (Berland, 1934) , P. sterninotata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) , and P. yoshidai Hu & Liu , sp. nov.

Distribution. Cosmopolitan, excluding Oceania ( World Spider Catalog 2025).

Figures

Figure 7. Platnickina xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992), comb. nov. A. Left male palp, prolateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Same, retrolateral view; D. Same, expanded, prolateral view; E. Same, detail of tegulum, arrow points to the pit on the tegulum. Abbreviations: C = conductor; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; TA = tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 8. Platnickina xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992), comb. nov. A. Epigyne, ventral view; B. Vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: A = atrium; CD = copulatory duct; FD = fertilization duct; S = spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.05 mm.

Figure 9. Habitus of Platnickina xianfengense (Zhu & Song, 1992), comb. nov. A. Male, dorsal view; B. Male, ventral view; C. Male, lateral view; D. Female, dorsal view; E. Female, ventral view; F. Female, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 10. Platnickina yoshidai Hu & Liu, sp. nov. A. Left male palp, prolateral view; B. Same, ventral view; C. Same, retrolateral view; D. Same, expanded, prolateral view, arrow points to the pit on tegulum; E. Same; F. Right male chelicera, retrolateral view, arrow points to the promarginal tooth. Abbreviations: C = conductor; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; ST = subtegulum; T = tegulum; TA = tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.