Breaking the Afrotropical boundary: Discovery of Planochelas in Asia reveals transcontinental distribution, with a new bark-dwelling species from China (Araneae, Trachelidae)

The spider genus <i>Planochelas</i> 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, <i>Planochelas jingda</i> Liu, <b>sp. nov.</b>, is described and illustrated. Specimens were collected from beneath the bark of <i>Platanus</i> spp. (e.g. <i>P. acerifolia</i>, <i>P. occidentalis</i> and <i>P. orientalis</i>), confirming the arboreal and cryptic habits of the genus. This discovery significantly expands the known distribution of <i>Planochelas</i> 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.