Re-delimitation of the genus Emertonella (Araneae, Theridiidae, Hadrotarsinae) and taxonomic notes on Euryopis and Phycosoma from China

Hadrotarsinae Thorell, 1881 is a subfamily of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) distributed worldwide and generally regarded as specialized ant predators. The taxonomy of Hadrotarsinae is problematic due to unclear delimitation of genera, leading to likely misplacement of many species. In the current paper, we provide taxonomic amendments for Emertonella Bryant, 1945, Euryopis Menge, 1868, and Phycosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880 based on Chinese materials.

Examination of Eu. deplanata Schenkel, 1936 and Em. taczanowskii (Keyserling, 1886) supports Yoshida’s concept of Emertonella and provides additional morphological evidence for refining the generic diagnosis. Accordingly, Eu. deplanata is formally transferred, with 30 additional species, from Euryopis to Emertonella, and Em. taczanowskii is redescribed. Furthermore, Physcoa mingyaoi (Yin, 2012), comb. nov. ex.

Euryopis and Lasaeola stigmosum (Yin, 2012), comb. nov. ex. Phycosoma are transferred, and one new synonym is proposed, Phycosoma amamiense (Yoshida, 1985), syn. nov. = Phycosoma japonicum (Yoshida, 1985). Finally, the first descriptions of the males of Em. deplanata (Schenkel, 1936), comb. nov. and Phycosoma ripa (Zhu, 1998) are provided.