A new genus of Liocranidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Tajikistan

Abstract

A new genus, Platnickgen. n., with three new species, P. shablyaisp. n. (♂, type species), P. astanasp. n. (♀) and P. sangloksp. n. (♀), are described from Tajikistan. The male of the type species has a unique pair of longitudinal ventral postgastral scuta. Females have such scuta also, but they are much shorter. The new genus is placed in Liocranidae Simon, 1897. A discussion on the subfamilies of Liocranidae and comments on the family-group names are provided.

One new genus and four new species of Liocranidae Simon, 1897 (Arachnida, Araneae) from China and Vietnam

“…They are small to medium-sized spiders, whose body length ranges from 3 to 15 mm , with a highly variable habitus ( Jocqué and Dippenaar-Schoeman 2006 ; Dippenaar-Schoeman et al 2021 ). The family has no clear synapomorphies, and some genera are frequently moved, including changes between Clubionidae Wagner, 1887 and Miturgidae Simon, 1886 ( Marusik and Fomichev 2020 ; Zamani and Marusik 2021 ; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2022 ; WSC 2023 ). However, the characteristic of “posterior median eye tapeta forming 90° angle” can distinguish Liocranidae from Clubionidae and Miturgidae ( Ramírez 2014 ).…”