Araneus ovoideus, Mi & Li, 2022

Mi, Xiaoqi & Li, Shuqiang, 2022, On eleven new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, ZooKeys 1137, pp. 75-108 : 75

Araneus ovoideus sp. nov.

Figs 12 , 19C, D

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (IZCAS-Ar43115), China: Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Mengla County, Menglun Township, Menglun Nature Reserve, low evergreen forest along G213 roadside (21°53.79'N, 101°17.15'E, ca 590 m), 27.XI.2009, G. Tang leg. Paratypes: 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar43116), Lüshilin, secondary tropical seasonal moist forest (21°54.39'N, 101°16.72'E, ca 690 m), 6.VIII.2011, G. Zheng leg.; 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar43117), secondary tropical forest around garbage dump (21°54.17'N, 101°16.87'E, ca 610 m), 31.VII.2018, Z.L. Bai leg.; 1♀ (IZCAS-Ar43118), XTBG, near the benchland (21°54.24'N, 101°15.99'E, ca 540 m), 13.V.2019, Z.L. Bai leg.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ovoideus”, meaning “oval”, referring to the shape of the spermathecae.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) epigyne triangular; 2) a very large pair of spermathecae; 3) posterior abdomen with 1 yellow transverse patch and 2 yellow longitudinal patches; and 4) ventral abdomen with a square white patch.

Description.

Female (holotype, Figs 12 , 19C, D ). Total length 6.80. Carapace 3.10 long, 2.70 wide. Abdomen 4.00 long, 4.10 wide. Clypeus 0.10 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.20, ALE 0.15, PME 0.18, PLE 0.15, AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.35, MOA length 0.53, anterior width 0.53, posterior width 0.40. Leg measurements: I 10.60 (3.10, 3.90, 2.60, 1.00), II 9.90 (3.00, 3.50, 2.50, 0.90), III 6.10 (2.00, 2.10, 1.30, 0.70), IV 9.10 (3.00, 3.10, 2.20, 0.80). Carapace pear-shaped, dark brown, with dense, pale setae. Chelicerae dark brown, 4 promarginal teeth, 3 retromarginal teeth. Endites and labium dark brown basally, yellow distally, endites almost square, labium triangular. Sternum cordiform, yellow with yellowish-brown margins. Legs yellow with wide, brown annuli. Abdomen broadly oval, with dark setae, dorsum whitish yellow, with 2 pairs of grayish-brown patches anteriorly and medially, posteriorly with three grayish-brown patches; venter grayish brown, square white patch medially. Spinnerets brown.

Epigyne (Fig. 12A-D ): triangular, about 1.5 times wider than long, with very short, rimmed scape; copulatory openings concave, at posterior surface; copulatory ducts twisted at origin; spermathecae oval, touching each other.

Variation. Total length: ♀♀ 6.80-7.70.

Distribution.

Known only from type localities (Yunnan, China).

Figures

Figure 12. Araneus ovoideus sp. nov. female 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. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A-D); 1 mm (E-G).

Figure 19. Legs of Araneus spp. A, B A. minisculus sp. nov., male holotype A leg I B leg II C, D A. ovoideus sp. nov., female holotype C leg I D leg II E-H A. pseudodigitatus sp. nov., male holotype E leg I F leg II G leg III H leg IV I, J Araneus semiorbiculatus sp. nov., female holotype I leg I J leg II K-N A. tetracanthus sp. nov., male holotype K leg I L leg II M leg III N leg IV. Scale bars: 1 mm.