Breaking the Afrotropical boundary: Discovery of Planochelas in Asia reveals transcontinental distribution, with a new bark-dwelling species from China (Araneae, Trachelidae)
Breaking the Afrotropical boundary: Discovery of Planochelas in Asia reveals transcontinental distribution, with a new bark-dwelling species from China (Araneae, Trachelidae)
Abstract
Background
Arboreal microhabitats, such as tree bark, remain poorly studied in subtropical China. During exploratory surveys in Jiangxi, specimens of the trachelid spider genus Planochelas — previously known only from Africa — were collected, representing its first record in Asia. This finding disproves the genus’ assumed endemic status and underscores the value of surveying overlooked microhabitats for biogeographic discovery.
New information
The spider genus Planochelas Lyle & Haddad, 2009 is reported for the first time outside the Afrotropical Region, based on material collected in Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province, south-eastern China. A new species, Planochelas jingda Liu, sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Specimens were collected from beneath the bark of Platanus spp. (e.g. P. acerifolia, P. occidentalis and P. orientalis), confirming the arboreal and cryptic habits of the genus. This discovery significantly expands the known distribution of Planochelas and challenges its previous status as a strictly Afrotropical endemic. The finding underscores the importance of targeted microhabitat sampling for revealing overlooked spider diversity and contributes to the understanding of the biogeography of the family Trachelidae in the Oriental Region.
Wang Y, Shi Y, Li C, Jin C, Luo L, Liu K (2026) Breaking the Afrotropical boundary: Discovery of Planochelas in Asia reveals transcontinental distribution, with a new bark-dwelling species from China (Araneae, Trachelidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e182804. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182804