Araneus grossus (C.L. Koch, 1844)

Ibrahimi, Krenare, Islami, Blertina, Kastrati, Blearta, Geci, Donard, Bilalli, Astrit & Ibrahimi, Halil, 2024, New findings and an updated checklist of Araneidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Kosovo, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (3), pp. 547-555 : 548

Araneus grossus (C.L. Koch, 1844) ( Fig. 2)

Material examined. 1♀, KOSOVO, Veriq , Istog municipality (42°45'19.37''N, 20°33'12.71''E), 15-V-2021 ; 1♀, KOSOVO, Bistricë e Shalës , Leposaviq municipality (43°1'48.23''N, 20°53'25.51''E), 12-VII-2023 ; 1♀, KOSOVO, Selacë , Mitrovicë municipality (43°01'48.23''N, 20°53'25.51''E), 8-VI-2023, Coll. Donard Geci.

Distribution. West Palaearctic: Europe to Central Asia ( World Spider Catalog, 2024).

Diagnostic note. Habitus: Carapace light brown, with pale margins. Opisthosoma dorsally distended, yellowish-brown, with brown pattern. Tubercles with a yellowish hue. Eye region mostly yellow, with dense bright hairs. Chelicerae brown. Legs brown, indistinctly annulated. Body length: female: 15–25 mm ( Nentwig et al., 2024). Epigyne: Scapus covers the genital openings, joined to a basal zone that covers the copulatory ducts and the spermathecae made up of several sclerites. Laterally, the base of the epigyne is flanked by a pair of lamellae. In ventral view, the length and wrinkles of the scapus vary among individuals of the same species, perhaps due to a different folding of it. The scapus is always long and wide. Epigyne is very dark due to intense sclerotization ( Morano & Mora-Rubio, 2021) ( Figs 2A–C).