Agelena limbata Thorell, 1897

Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, Zhu, Ming-Sheng & Song, Da-Xiang, 2005, On Agelena labyrinthica (Clerck, 1757) and some allied species, with descriptions of two new species of the genus Agelena from China (Araneae: Agelenidae), Zootaxa 1021 (1), pp. 45-63 : 56-57

Agelena limbata Thorell, 1897 ( Figs. 25–30 )

Agelena limbata Thorell 1897: 255 (female syntype, from Mont(e) Carin Cheba, Burma, ZMUC 00008622, examined; female and juvenile syntype, from Carin Cheba, Burma, in NHRS, examined; Unknown number of female and male syntypes, in Museo civico di Storia Naturale, Genova, Italy, not examined); non Bösenberg & Strand (1906).

Agelena sublimbata Wang 1991: 410 , figs. 21 – 23 (female holotype, male allotype, six female and one male paratypes from Mt. Xishan, Kunming, Yunnan, China, deposited in Hunan Biological Institute, Changsha, China, not examined); Song et al. 1999: 355, figs. 206C, N, 207F. (New synonymy)

Additional material examined: Myanmar: China: Yunnan: Dali (25°42’N, 100°10’E), Mt. Cangshan , 3 males, 3 females, 30 May 2001, E.B. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Jinhong (22°54’N, 100°48’E), Tropical Botanical Garden , 2 females, 25 June 2001, C. Zhang leg. ( MHBU) ; Jinhong , 2 females, 23 July 2000, M.S. Zhu et al. leg. ( MHBU) ; Menghai, Daluo (21°40’N, 100°03’E), 2 females, 31 July 2000, leg. M.S. Zhu et al. ( MHBU) ; Mengla (21°29’N, 101°33’E), Mohan , 1 female, 25 July 2001, M.S. Zhu et al. leg. ( MHBU) ; Yangbi (25°27’N, 99°54’E), 1 female, 6 July 1999, Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Yangbi, Pingpo (25°35’N, 100°04’E), 1 female, 10 August 2001, Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Zhengkang (23°55’N, 99°02’E), Junsai , 1 female, 10 August 2001, G.X. Luo leg. ( MHBU) ; Yongsheng (26°42’N, 100°44’E), 1 female, 7 August 1999, Z.C. Pi leg. ( MHBU) ; Kunming, Xishan (25°03’N, 102°36’E), 1 female, 5 March 2003 (matured till May. 7), Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Yunxian (24°26’N, 100°07’E), 2 males, 2 females, 21 July 2003, Z.Z. Yang ( MHBU) ; Weixi (27°09’N, 99°17’E), 1 female, 11 August 2002, B.Y. Mao and J.S. Xu leg. ( MHBU) ; Hekou (22°31’N, 103°59’E), 1 female, 23 August 1988, Y.C. Jiao and H.Z. Wang leg. ( CYNU) ; Yuxi (24°22’N, 102°32’E), 2 females, 8 July 1983, H.Z. Wang leg. ( CYNU) ; Ruili (24°00’N, 97°50’E), 1 female, 18 May 2004, Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Yingjiang (24°41’N, 97°56’E), Gangmen , 1 male, 16 May 2004 (matured till the end of May), Z.S. Zhang and Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Gongshan (27°43’N, 98°39’E), 1 male, 1 female, 2 May 2004 (matured till 12 May), Z.S. Zhang and Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) ; Gongshan (27°43’N, 98°39’E), 1 female, 3 May 2004, Z.S. Zhang and Z.Z. Yang leg. ( MHBU) .

Diagnosis: The species is similar to A. injuria ( Figs. 19–24 ), but can be recognized by the arched patellar apophysis, the narrow conductor ventral apophysis, the small conductor median one, the weakly sclerotized conductor distal one, the big median apophysis of male palp; the large epigynal atrium and copulatory openings and the big spermathecal apophysis of females.

Redescription: Male palp ( Figs. 28–30 ), with a wide, arched patellar apophysis and two tibial ones. Tip of embolus acute. Apex of conductor with ventral, median and distal apophyses, all small. Median apophysis big and membranous, with acute tip.

Epigyne ( Figs. 26–27 ), with a big and oval atrium. Copulatory openings visible. Copulatory ducts saccate, anterior portions broad, gradually decreasing posteriorly in width. Spermathecal heads near the middle. Spermathecal stalks wide. Spermathecal apophyses present. Fertilization ducts situated behind spermathecal base.

For further details see Thorell (1897) and Wang (1991).

Distribution: China (Yunnan); Myanmar.

Remarks: This species was described by Thorell (1897) without drawings. The figures of it given first by Bösenberg & Strand (1906) were based on a misidentification, which was followed by other arachnologists since then. After the syntypes of A. limbata were examined, we are sure that A. limbata should also be revised. Topotypes of A. sublimbata were collected and examined; it was actually the same species as A. limbata . Thus, the distribution of this species should be reassigned and the name of A. silvatica Oliger, 1983 , which was designated as a junior synonym of this species by Marusik & Koponen (2000), should be revalidated (see below).

Figures

FIGURES 25–30. Agelena limbata Thorell, 1897. 25. Male, dorsal view. 26. Female, epigynum, ventral view. 27. Same, vulva, dorsal view. 28. Left palp of the male, prolateral view. 29. Same, ventral view. 30. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bar: 25, 1.0mm; 26–30, 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 19–24. Agelena injuria Fox, 1936. 19. Male, dorsal view. 20. Female, epigynum, ventral view. 21. Same, vulva, dorsal view. 22. Left palp of the male, prolateral view. 23. Same, ventral view. 24. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bar: 19, 1.0mm; 20–24, 0.2 mm.