Araneus digitatus, Liu, Ping, Irfan, Muhammad, Yang, Su-Fang & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2019

Liu, Ping, Irfan, Muhammad, Yang, Su-Fang & Peng, Xian-Jin, 2019, Two new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) and first description of A. wulongensis male from China, ZooKeys 886, pp. 61-77 : 61

Araneus digitatus sp. nov. Figs 6 , 7 , 8 , 12

Type material.

Holotype, ♂, China, Hubei Province: Badong County, Yanduhe Town, Songziyuan Village, Wagang Creek, 31.35067N, 110.42625E, 1340 m, 28.04.2016, W. Liu, C. Zeng and T. Tian leg (20160428). Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype (20160428); 1♂, same locality, Tiansheng Valley, 31.35279N, 110.39937E, 1836 m, 27.04.2016, W. Liu et al. leg. (20160427).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective digitatus (finger-shaped), referring to the finger-shaped terminal apophysis.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles A. ryukyuanus Tanikawa, 2001 ( Tanikawa 2001: figs 5-8, 19-21), but can be distinguished by: 1) embolus with pointed and straight tip in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs with blunt and bended tip in A. ryukyuanus ; 2) tip of scape about 2/3 of epigyne width in ventral view in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs only 1/3 of the width of epigyne in A. ryukyuanus ; 3) epignal lateral plates expanded laterally in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs tube-shaped in A. ryukyuanus ; 4) abdomen with dark brown folium in both sexes in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs female abdomen mid-dorsally with broad, yellowish band and black in male in A. ryukyuanus . The new species also resembles A. zhaoi Zhang & Zhang, 2002 ( Zhang and Zhang 2002: fig. 1), but can be distinguished by: 1) embolus hook-shaped, distal part slender in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs sickle-shaped, distal part not slender in A. zhaoi ; 2) tegular rim almost straight in ventral view in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs waved in A. zhaoi ; 3) copulatory openings distinct in ventral view in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs indistinct in A. zhaoi .

Description.

Male (holotype) ( Fig. 6A, B, E ): total length 4.92. Carapace 2.28 long, 1.91 wide, light yellowish with broad, brown lateral margins. Fovea, cervical, and radial grooves distinct. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME, 0.08; ALE, 0.08; PME, 0.10; PLE, 0.10; AME–AME, 0.15; AME–ALE, 0.23; PME–PME, 0.07; PME–PLE, 0.26; MOL, 0.31; MOA 0.30; MOP, 0.32. Sternum dark brown. Chelicerae pale yellow. Endites brown with distal end yellow. Labium dark brown, distal part pale yellow. Legs I and II with yellow coxae and trochanters, other segments yellowish brown. Legs III and IV yellow, with brown annuli. Tibia I and II with several strong spines, tibia I: 3d, 7p, 1r; tibia II: 3d, 3v, 6p, 1r. Leg lengths: I, 8.54 (2.48, 3.17, 2.03, 0.86); II, 7.87 (2.39, 2.82, 1.87, 0.79); III, 4.37 (1.45, 1.57, 0.86, 0.49); IV, 6.35 (2.09, 2.25, 1.46, 0.55). Abdomen 2.89 long, 1.97 wide, oval, grayish, dark-brown folium covers almost whole dorsum, 4 pairs of sigillae, posterior 2 pairs indistinct. Ventral median band dark brown, lateral sides grayish. Spinnerets dark brown.

Palp ( Fig. 7 ). Patella with 2 macrosetae. Tibia wider than long, ventral side bulging in prolateral view. Tegulum slightly bulging ventrally. Median apophysis V-shaped, dorsal ramus finger-shaped with pointed tip, ventral ramus with many teeth. Conductor membranous, with swollen tip and a spur on the base. Subterminal apophysis 1 broad, slightly curved; subterminal apophysis 2 strongly curved, invisible on unexpanded palp. Terminal apophysis membranous, finger-shaped curved, slightly overlapping the conductor. Embolus curved clockwise, distally thin and straight, with a cap on the top, slightly overlapping the conductor.

Female (allotype) ( Fig. 6C, D, F ): total length 5.20. Carapace 2.63 long, 2.14 wide, light yellowish, cervical and radial grooves distinct. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME, 0.07; ALE, 0.08; PME, 0.11; PLE, 0.11; AME–AME, 0.17; AME–ALE, 0.33; PME–PME, 0.13; PME–PLE, 0.35; MOL, 0.33, MOA, 0.34; MOP, 0.36. Sternum dark brown. Chelicerae pale yellow. Endites brown, distal end pale yellow. Labium dark brown, distal part pale yellow. Legs yellow, with dark brown annuli. Spination: tibia I: 2d, 5p, 2r; tibia II: 2d, 2p, 2r. Leg lengths: I, 7.95 (2.39, 2.98, 1.80, 0.78); II, 7.21 (2.28, 2.64, 1.62, 0.67); III, 4.75 (1.65, 1.65, 0.95, 0.50); IV, 6.78 (2.17, 2.37, 1.59, 0.65). Abdomen 3.27 long, 2.61 wide, color and pattern same as in male.

Epigyne ( Fig. 8 ). Epigyne almost as wide as long in ventral view; scape S-shaped, with one helical turn, wrinkled, tip cordiform and widened distinctly; median plate longer than wide, tongue-shaped; lateral plates slightly longer than wide, expanded laterally; basal lamellae absent. Copulatory openings located ventro-laterally. Copulatory ducts twisted. Spermathecae small and oval, almost touching each other.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 6. Araneus digitatus sp. nov., male (holotype, A, B, E), female (C, D, F) A, C habitus, dorsal view B, D habitus, ventral view E, F leg I and II, prolateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Araneus digitatus sp. nov., male holotype (palp, A-D, H, I; endaparatus E-G) A, E, H prolateral view B, I, G ventral view C, D embolus, prolateral view F lateral view. Abbreviations: C = conductor; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; STA = subterminal apophysis; TA = terminal apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 8. Araneus digitatus sp. nov., female (epigyne, A-E) A, B ventral view C-E posterior view. Abbreviations: CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; FD = fertilization duct; LP = lateral plate; MP = median plate; S = scape; SP = spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 12. Collection localities for Araneus conexus sp. nov., Araneus digitatus sp. nov., and Araneus wulongensis Song & Zhu, 1992 in China.