﻿Revision of the genus Scopoides Platnick, 1989 from China, with description of a new genus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)

﻿Abstract The genus Scopoides Platnick, 1989 from China is revised. A new genus, Platnickusgen. nov., is established with the type species Scopoidesxizangensis Hu, 2001, and a new species is described, Platnickusrenisp. nov. Three new combinations are proposed: Allozelotesgyirongensis (Hu, 2001), comb. nov., Platnickuswanglangensis (Yuan, Zhao & Zhang, 2019), comb. nov., and Platnickusxizangensis (Hu, 2001), comb. nov.


Introduction
is a small genus of Gnaphosidae, with 12 named species occurring in the USA and Mexico, and three species in China (WSC 2023). Scopoides was first reported from China (Xizang) by Hu (2001), who described two new species, S. gyirongensis Hu, 2001and S. xizangensis Hu, 2001. Yuan et al. (2019 reported a third species from China (Sichuan), S. wanglangensis Yuan, Zhao & Zhang, 2019. Scopoides in North America was revised by Platnick and Shadab (1976), but species from China have never been revised and could be misplaced.
While examining Scopoides specimens from southwestern China, we compared them with generotype described in Platnick and Shadab (1976) and found none of them belong to Scopoides. The goals of this paper are to revise Scopoides in China, including a redescription of the type specimens of S. gyirongensis and S. xizangensis, propose three new combinations, and describe a new genus and a new species.

Material and method
All specimens preserved in 75% ethanol were examined and measured under a Leica M205A stereomicroscope. The photographs of the genitalia and chelicerae were taken using an Olympus BX51 microscope or a Leica DM6000 B microscope equipped with a Kuy Nice CCD camera and were imported into Helicon Focus v. 7 for stacking. Bodies were photographed using a Leica M205A stereomicroscope. Final figures were retouched in Adobe Photoshop 2020. All measurements are given in millimeters. Leg measurements are shown as: total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Vulvae were cleared with Pancreatin (BBI Life Sciences). All specimens studied are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHBU), Baoding, China.

Distribution. China (Xizang).
Remarks. The presence of long, snail-shell-shaped, convoluted copulatory ducts, fist-shaped accessory glands, and the secondary spermathecae almost the same size as the primary spermathecae indicate that this species is a member of Allozelotes, rather than Scopoides. Yin and Peng (1998) placed Allozelotes as a zelotine spider based on the presence of a preening comb on metatarsi III and IV. Azevedo et al. (2017)  placed this genus in Zelotinae based on Yin and Peng's work. However, while examining the type specimens of A. gyirongensis comb. nov., we found a preening brush rather than preening comb on metatarsi III and IV (Fig. 1G) which indicates that Allozelotes is not a member of Zelotinae. Allozelotes is not assigned to any of the known subfamilies of Gnaphosidae (Azevedo et al. 2017;Lin and Li 2020), and it is unplaced here.
Genus Platnickus gen. nov. https: Type species. Scopoides xizangensis Hu, 2001. Etymology. The genus name is in honor of Norman I. Platnick (1951Platnick ( -2020 and his extensive contributions to arachnology; masculine in gender. Diagnosis. Platnickus gen. nov. resembles Allozelotes by the presence of a procurved PER, the presence of one retromarginal tooth, and the presence of a preening brush on metatarsi III and IV, but it can be distinguished by: 1) the slightly curved embolus, directed clockwise (vs embolus strongly curved, directed counterclockwise); 2) the absence of a macrosetae on the tibial apophysis; 3) the short copulatory ducts (vs long, convoluted copulatory ducts); and 4) the presence of long ducts leading to the secondary spermathecae and the secondary spermathecae with many glands.
Platnickus gen. nov. differs from Scopoides by the: 1) presence of a preening brush on metatarsi III and IV; 2) presence of a radix; 3) medially originating embolus (vs basally originating); 4) absence of ventral and dorsal points on the tibial apophysis; 5) copulatory opening located posteriorly (vs located anteriorly); and 6) presence of long ducts leading to the secondary spermathecae and the secondary spermathecae with many glands.

Epigyne. See below (description in P. xizangensis).
Remarks. Currently Platnickus gen. nov. is not assigned to any of the known subfamilies of Gnaphosidae (Azevedo et al. 2017;Lin and Li 2020); it is unplaced.

Epigyne
Distribution. China (Xizang). Diagnosis. The male resembles P. xizangensis in having a similar palp, but it can be distinguished by the presence of embolar base process (EP1 and EP2), the notched embolus tip (vs bifid), the spoon-shaped conductor in retrolateral view (vs ribbon shaped), and the relatively short median apophysis, almost 1/3 length of bulb (vs relatively long, almost 1/2 length of bulb) (Figs 4, 8).
Female. Unknown. Distribution. China (Sichuan). Diagnosis. Males resemble P. xizangensis in having a similar palp, but they can be distinguished by the presence of a relatively straight embolus (vs relatively curved embolus) and the relatively twisted median apophysis (vs median apophysis relatively flat) (Fig. 4).
Description. Male. See Yuan et al. (2019). Remarks. The illustrations and descriptions by Yuan et al. (2019: 22, fig. 16) show the same characteristics as in Platnickus gen. nov. For example, 1) the procurved posterior eye row; 2) the presence of three promarginal teeth and one retromarginal cheliceral tooth; 3) the presence of a radix; 4) the medially originating embolus with several ridges; 5) the irregular polygon-shaped median apophysis; and 6) the dorsally located tibial apophysis. These characters indicate that this species should be placed in Platnickus gen. nov.