Araneus zhoui Mi & Wang, 2023

Wu, Yibei, Wang, Cheng, Wu, Nanfei, Zhang, Mengfei & Mi, Xiaoqi, 2023, On four new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from southern China, ZooKeys 1160, pp. 169-190 : 169

Araneus zhoui Mi & Wang sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 9M-P , 10

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (TRU- Araneidae -164), China: Hainan Province, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Jianfeng Township, Jianfengling National Nature Reserve (18°43.11'N, 108°52.32'E, ca 1400 m), 16.IV.2019, C. Wang & Y.F. Yang leg. Paratypes: 3♂6♀ (TRU- Araneidae -165-173), same data as for holotype.

Comparative material.

Araneus colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992, 5♀, China: Guizhou Province, Yinjiang Tujia Autonomous County, Ziwei Township, Dayuanzhi Village , Huguosi (27°54.54'N, 108°46.57'E, ca 1660 m), 9.V.2020, X.Q. Mi et al. leg .

Etymology.

The species is named after Mr Runbang Zhou who helped us with specimen collections; noun in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles A. conexus Liu, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2019 and A. colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992 in somatic morphology and genital structures, but it can be distinguished from A. conexus in having 1) the female carapace with two short spines anterior to the fovea vs lacking ( Liu et al. 2019: fig. 1D); 2) the anterior abdomen slightly elevated in lateral view vs extremely elevated to a pointed tip ( Liu et al. 2019: fig. 1E); 3) the terminal apophysis long, touching the conductor in prolateral view vs short and not touching the conductor ( Liu et al. 2019: fig. 2A, B, D, E); and 4) the distal end of the subterminal apophysis rounded in prolateral view vs concave ( Liu et al. 2019: fig. 2A, D). It differs from A. colubrinus in having 1) the epigyne scape almost straight vs S-shaped and twisted ( Song and Zhu 1992: fig. 4); and 2) the spermathecae touching each other vs separated by ~1.6 × of the spermatheca width.

Description.

Male (holotype, Figs 7I, J , 8 , 9M-P ). Total length 3.20. Carapace 1.60 long, 1.40 wide. Abdomen 1.95 long, 1.55 wide. Clypeus 0.05 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.11, PLE 0.08, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.18, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.23, MOA length 0.28, anterior width 0.25, posterior width 0.30. Leg measurements: I 6.15 (1.85, 2.15, 1.50, 0.65), II 5.45 (1.65, 1.90, 1.30, 0.60), III 3.35 (1.10, 1.10, 0.70, 0.45), IV 4.45 (1.40, 1.50, 1.05, 0.50). Carapace pear-shaped, yellow, paler anterior to fovea; ALEs, PMEs, and PLEs with black base. Cervical groove inconspicuous; fovea depressed. Chelicerae yellow; four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Endites yellow with very narrow, dark anterior edge, with tooth-like process laterally. Labium triangular, yellow with paler tip. Sternum cordiform, yellow with grayish brown patches, with brown setae. Legs yellow with yellowish-brown annuli; femur I with eight macrosetae; tibia I with 14 macrosetae, distally with constriction (see arrow in Fig. 9M ); tibia II with 12 macrosetae; tibia III with six macrosetae; tibia IV with nine macrosetae. Abdomen oval, ~1.25 × longer than wide; dorsum whitish yellow, with large grayish brown patch extending from anterior edge to posterior end, bearing four pairs of constrictions; venter grayish brown with pair of longitudinal yellow patches laterally. Spinnerets grayish brown.

Pedipalp (Fig. 8 ) with basal femoral protrusion; patella with two bristles; median apophysis with prolateral spur and four or five small retrolateral teeth; embolus tapered, curved counterclockwise at tip; conductor membranous, widest at base; terminal apophysis approximately equal in length to bulb diameter, distally touching conductor, subterminal apophysis with blunt tip in prolateral view.

Female (paratype TRU- Araneidae -165, Figs 7A-H ). Total length 3.80. Carapace 1.60 long, 1.40 wide. Abdomen 2.85 long, 2.55 wide. Clypeus 0.03 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.09, PME 0.13, PLE 0.09, AME-AME 0.15, AME-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.13, PME-PLE 0.30, MOA length 0.28, anterior width 0.28, posterior width 0.30. Leg measurements: I 5.10 (1.55, 1.90, 1.10, 0.55), II 4.45 (1.35, 1.65, 0.95, 0.50), III 2.90 (1.00, 0.95, 0.55, 0.40), IV 4.00 (1.25, 1.40, 0.90, 0.45). Habitus similar to that of male but anterior abdominal elevation more obvious, carapace with two short spines and four teeth anterior to fovea.

Epigyne (Fig. 7A-D ): ~1.7 × wider than long; scape with nearly parallel sides, distally directed ventrally; copulatory openings slit-like, ventral; copulatory ducts coiled ~360°, widest at origin, longer than spermatheca; spermathecae elliptical, touching each other.

Variation.

Total length: ♂♂ 2.85-3.20 (n = 4); ♀♀ 2.95-4.20 (n = 6). Some female carapaces only have two short spines anterior to fovea rather than four short spines.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Hainan).

Comments.

The oval abdomen and the long, twisted, distally spoon-shaped scape indicate that the new species belongs to the A. sturmi group. The somatic morphology and genitalia indicate that the new species is most similar to A. colubrinus and A. conexus .

Figures

Figure 7. Araneus zhoui sp. nov. A-H female paratype TRU- Araneidae - 165 I, J male holotype A epigyne, ventral view B ibid., anterior view C ibid., posterior view D vulva, posterior view E habitus, dorsal view F ibid., ventral view G ibid., lateral view H part of carapace, dorsal view I habitus, dorsal view J ibid., lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A-D, H); 1 mm (E-G, I, J).

Figure 8. Araneus zhoui sp. nov. male holotype A pedipalp, prolateral view B ibid., retrolateral view C ibid., ventral view D ibid., apical view E expanded bulb, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 9. Legs of Araneus spp., male holotypes, prolateral view A-D A. fenzhi sp. nov. E-H A. mayanghe sp. nov. I-L A. shiwandashan sp. nov. M-P A. zhoui sp. nov. A, E, I, M legs I; B, F, J, N legs II; C, G, K, O legs III; D, H, L, P legs IV. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 10. Distribution map of the species.