Uroctea lesserti Schenkel, 1936

Yang, Zi-Zhong, Yang, Zhi-Bin, Zhao, Yu & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2019, Review of the tent-web spider genus Uroctea Dufour, 1820 in China, with descriptions of two new species (Araneae: Oecobiidae), Zootaxa 4679 (1), pp. 126-138 : 130-131

Uroctea lesserti Schenkel, 1936

Figures 3–4 , 8

Uroctea lesserti Schenkel, 1936: 266 , fig. 87 (♀ holotype from Suzhou District of Jiuquan City, Gansu, China, deposited in Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden (NHRS), unexamined); Wen & Zhu 1980: 40, figs 2.1–3 (♀ ♂); Zhu 1984: 169, figs 1.1–6 (♀ ♂); Feng 1990: 50, figs 25.1–6 (♀ ♂); Kim & Namkung 1992: 102, figs 1–6, 10–14 (♀ ♂); Song et al. 1999: 78, figs 12B, 32C–E (♀ ♂); Kim & Lee 1998: 54, figs 3.2, 4.1–2, 6.1–2, 8.2 (♀ ♂); Song et al. 2001: 83, figs 37A–E (♀ ♂); Namkung 2003: 67, figs 10.2a–b (♀ ♂); Zhu & Zhang 2011: 56, figs 26A–D (♀ ♂). For full list of pub- lications and synonyms concerning this species, see World Spider Catalog (2019).

Diagnosis. This species differs from other Uroctea species by three pairs of lateral, and a single posterior, round white markings on the dorsum of the opisthosoma ( Fig. 3 A–B); the first branch (b1) of the median apophysis is short and spoon-shaped, the second branch (b2) is wide basally but two times longer than wide ( Figs 3E , 4A ); copulatory openings small, close to each other, located anteriorly to the posterior notch ( Figs 3 F–G, 4B–C).

Description. Males: total length 5.50–6.31. Females: total length 8.29–8.50. Habitus of both sexes as shown in Fig. 3 A–B. For full description, see Song, Zhu & Chen (2001) and Kim & Lee (1998).

Male palp ( Figs 3 C–E, 4A). Embolus originates proximally and is elongated prolatero-distally, almost straight, with a pointed end. Conductor somewhat transparent and sclerotized, arising from central part of bulb ventrally, elongated prolaterally, then curved distally. Anterior part of conductor groove-like, three times longer than wide. Median apophysis three-branched, b1 short and spoon-like, b2 relatively long, with a pointed tip and b3 wide. Sperm ducts distinct in bulb and embolic base.

Epigyne ( Figs 3 F–G, 4B–C). The posterior margin has a small and shallow notch. The copulatory openings are very small, located on the anterior part of the notch, very close to the central part of epigyne. Copulatory ducts thin and short, with a pair of transparent, large bursae anteriorly. Spermathecae slightly inflated. Fertilization ducts thin and long.

Material examined: China, Hubei Province: 1 female, Gucheng County, 25 Jul. 2004, Yulong Wang leg. ( DUIER) ; 1 female, Gucheng County, 10 Feb. 2006, Yulong Wang leg. ( DUIER) ; 1 female, Gucheng County, 15 Feb. 2007, Yulong Wang leg. ( DUIER) ; Hebei Province: 4 females, Baoding City, Campus of Hebei University , 2 Dec. 2002, Zizhong Yang leg. ( DUIER) ; 4 females, Wuqiang County, Xiaofan Town , 25 Aug. 2009, Huiqin Ma leg. ( DUIER) ; 2 females and 1 male, Yu County, Jinhekou Village , 7 Aug. 2016, Feng Zhang leg. ( SWUC) ; 5 females, Hengshui City, Taocheng District, Daijiakou , 10 Sep. 2016, Huiqin Ma leg. ( DUIER) .

Distribution: China (Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Hubei) ( Fig. 8 , Song et al. 1999); South Korea ( Kim & Namkung 1992).

Biology. This species is found in old houses only from North China, including both Northeast and Northwest China. There is no overlap for the distribution of U. compactilis and U. lesserti .

Remarks. The species was originally described on female holotype from Northwest China by Schenkel (1936), whom gives drawings of abdominal markings, which can be easily distinguished from other Uroctea species. Wen and Zhu (1980) firstly described the male and pointed out that this species is widely distributed from North China.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Uroctea lesserti Schenkel, 1936, A. Male habitus, dorsal view, B. Female habitus, dorsal view; C. Left male palp, prolateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E. Same, retrolateral view (the red arrow indicates the retrolateral projection of tibia); F. Epigyne, ventral view; G. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Uroctea lesserti Schenkel, 1936, A. Left male palp, SEM photo, ventral view; B. Epigyne, ventral view; C. Same, dorsal view.

FIGURE 8. Distribution records of Chinese Uroctea specimens examined.