Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890

Mi, Xiaoqi, Liu, Feng, Wang, Cheng, Gan, Jiahui & Wu, Yibei, 2024, Revision of the orb-weaver spider genus Gea C. L. Koch, 1843 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China, ZooKeys 1191, pp. 75-88 : 75

Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890

Figs 5 , 6 , 7I-L , 8

Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890: 101; Levi 1983: 323, figs 350-354; Okuma et al. 1993: 21, fig. 16A, B (type material not examined).

Materials examined.

China - Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region • 1♂; Beihai City, Tieshangang District , Xinggang Township , Xiaomatou Village , Caobiaotang ; 21°33.11'N, 109°29.22'E; ca 10 m elev.; 4.XII.2018; X.Q. Mi et al. leg.; TRU- Araneidae -288 . - Hainan Province • 2♀♀; Dongfang City, Gancheng Township, Tuotou Village , Shi’anlao; 18°50.56′N, 108°50.72′E; ca 110 m elev.; 30.VII.2023; X.Q. Mi et al. leg.; TRU- Araneidae -289-290 .

Diagnosis.

Females differ from those of congeneric species by the circular epigynum frame in ventral view (Fig. 5A ) and bean-shaped spermathecae (Fig. 5E ); males resembles G. eff Levi, 1983 in having similar pedipalp structures, but differs in: 1) dorsal ramus of the median apophysis tapered (Fig. 6A, C ) vs slender ( Levi 1983: figs 360, 361); 2) dorsal ramus of the median apophysis shorter than ventral ramus (Fig. 6E ) vs about equal length ( Levi 1983: fig. 360); and 3) conductor curled into a triangular dorsal fin in retrolateral view (Fig. 6B ) vs lacking a triangular dorsal fin ( Levi 1983: fig. 361).

Description.

Male (TRU- Araneidae -288, Figs 5J-L , 6 , 7I-L ). Total length 3.00. Carapace 1.65 long, 1.35 wide. Abdomen 1.65 long, 1.20 wide. Clypeus 0.10 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.05, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10, AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.18, PME-PLE 0.20, MOA length 0.43, anterior width 0.33, posterior width 0.33. Leg measurements: I 6.55 (1.85, 2.00, 1.80, 0.90), II 6.05 (1.75, 1.80, 1.65, 0.85), III 3.20 (1.05, 0.95, 0.70, 0.50), IV 4.90 (1.60, 1.40, 1.25, 0.65). Carapace yellow, with dark patches on thoracic region. Cervical groove inconspicuous; fovea longitudinal. Chelicerae yellow, with four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Endites wider than long, grayish yellow, with very narrow, dark anterior edge. Labium triangular, grayish yellow, with paler at tip. Sternum cordiform, yellowish brown, with a paler longitudinal patch. Legs yellow without annuli; femur I with five macrosetae; tibia I with nine macrosetae; tibia II with eight macrosetae, tibia III with four macrosetae; tibia IV with nine macrosetae. Abdomen shield-shaped, ~1.38 × longer than wide; dorsum whitish yellow, with a pair of narrow, grayish-brown patches anterolaterally and a grayish-brown folium posteriorly. Venter abdomen whitish yellow, with grayish-brown patches. Spinnerets yellowish brown.

Pedipalp (Fig. 6 ): paracybium flattened, fingerlike; median apophysis bifurcate; dorsal ramus about equal length to ventral ramus; ventral ramus with a distal spur; embolus extremely long, twisted more than 360°; conductor prominent, membranous, wrapped around distal half of embolus.

Female (TRU- Araneidae -289, Fig. 5A-I ). Total length 5.90. Carapace 2.30 long, 2.00 wide. Abdomen 3.80 long, 3.00 wide. Clypeus 0.10 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.08, PME 0.13, PLE 0.13, AME-AME 0.25, AME-ALE 0.08, PME-PME 0.30, PME-PLE 0.35, MOA length 0.70, anterior width 0.50, posterior width 0.55. Leg measurements: I 8.30 (2.40, 2.75, 2.20, 0.95), II 7.95 (2.40, 2.65, 2.00, 0.90), III 4.85 (1.55, 1.55, 1.10, 0.65), IV 7.60 (2.40, 2.50, 1.95, 0.75). Habitus similar to that of male but abdomen with a pair of low anterolateral humps, thoracic region, sternum and abdomen a bit darker, and paler patch on sternum more obvious.

Epigyne (Fig. 5A-F ) ~1.2 × wider than long, with circular frame and a long median septum separating two depressions in ventral view; copulatory openings located at posterior edges of depressions; copulatory ducts twisted into a C-shape, a bit longer than spermatheca; spermathecae bean-shaped, touching at midline.

Variation.

Total length: ♀ 5.60-5.90 (n = 2).

Distribution.

China (Hainan, Guangxi), Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, and Singapore.

Comment.

Male of G. subarmata described by Kulczyński (1911) is the male of G. eff Levi, 1983 as Levi (1983) proposed.

Figures

Figure 5. Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890 A-I TRU- Araneidae - 289 J-L TRU- Araneidae - 288 A epigyne, ventral view B ibid., lateral view C ibid., anterior view D ibid., posterior view E vulva, dorsal view F ibid., posterior view G, J habitus, dorsal view H, K ibid., ventral view I, L ibid., lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A-F); 1 mm (G-L). Abbreviations: CD copulatory duct, CO copulatory opening, FD fertilization duct, Sp spermatheca.

Figure 6. Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890 TRU- Araneidae - 288 A pedipalp, prolateral view B ibid., retrolateral view C ibid., ventral view D ibid., apical view E median apophysis, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: C conductor, E embolus, MA median apophysis.

Figure 7. Legs of Gea spp., prolateral view (some macroseta fell out from the original positions) A-D Gea jingdong Mi, Wang & Gan, sp. nov. holotype E-H Gea spinipes C. L. Koch, 1843 TRU- Araneidae - 272 I-L Gea subarmata Thorell, 1890 TRU- Araneidae - 288 A, E, I legs I B, F, J legs II C, G, K legs III D, H, L legs IV. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 8. Distribution in China of the examined specimens.