Eriovixia excelsa ( Simon, 1889 )

Mi, Xiao-Qi, Peng, Xian-Jin & Yin, Chang-Min, 2010, The orb-weaving spider genus Eriovixia (Araneae: Araneidae) in the Gaoligong Mountains, China, Zootaxa 2488, pp. 39-51 : 41-43

Eriovixia excelsa ( Simon, 1889)

Figs 1–8 , 34

Glyptogona excelsa Simon 1889: 337 .

Araneus excelsus Simon, 1906: 283 ; Dyal, 1935: 179, pl. 16, fig. 116; Tikader & Biswas, 1981: 20, figs 16–18. Neoscona excelsus Tikader & Bal, 1981: 25 , figs 50–54; Tikader, 1982: 261, figs 520–524. Eriovixia excelsa Grasshoff, 1986: 118 ; Barrion & Litsinger, 1995: 643, fig. 409a–f; Tso & Tanikawa, 2000: 129, figs

17–22.

Material examined: China: Yunnan Province: 1 female, Dali Prefecture, Yongping County, Qutong Township, 25.42665°N, 99.52924°E, 1600 m, 25 June 2000, David Kavanaugh & Heng-mei Yan (HNU-00- YP); 2 females and 1 male, Nujiang Prefecture, Lushui County, Sanjiang Township, Nujiang, 25.72964°N, 98.87180°E, 790 m, 26 June 2000, David Kavanaugh, Charles Griswold and Heng-mei Yan (CAS-00-LAN); 2 females, Baoshan City, Bawan Village, 22-25 km of the Road Bawan to Tengchong, 24.56220ºN, 98.49335ºE, 2380 m, 14 October 2003, Guo Tang (HNU-Tang 031014); 2 females, Fugong County, Pihe Township, Wawa Village, 26.59030°N, 98.90819°E, 1263 m, 13 May 2004, Heng-mei Yan (CAS-20040513); 1 female, Longyang County, Bawan Township, along road near Bawan Forestry Station, 24.95187°N, 98.83436°E, 1040 m, night collecting, 31 May 2005, Charles Griswold and David Kavanaugh (HNU- CGY131); 1 female, Fugong County, Lumadeng Township, Aludi Village, 27.10829°N, 98.87162°E, 1263 m, 22 April 2004, Charles Griswold and David Kavanaugh (HNU-CGY05); 1 female and 1 male, Tengchong County, Hehua Township, Langpu Village, 24.90961°N, 98.42311°E, 1200 m, 7 June 2006, Chang-min Yin, Jia-fang Hu, Ming-wei Yang and Shao-xian He (HNU-YHY37).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to E. cavaleriei in coloration and patterns, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by having: the median apophysis with only one spur (two in E. cavaleriei ); the ventral abdomen with two pairs of white spots (four pairs in E. cavaleriei ); and elliptical spermathecae (rounded in E. cavaleriei ).

Description. Female (based on CGY 05): Total length 3.25. Prosoma 1.50 long, 1.25 wide; ophisthosoma 2.10 long, 1.65 wide. Carapace piriform, longer than wide, narrow in eye region, covered with white seta, yellow in cephalic region and dark brown in thoracic, cervical groove deep, cephalic region slightly elevated ( Fig. 1 ). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.08, PLE 0.09, AME 0.09, PME 0.11; AME-AME 0.14, AME- ALE 0.26, PME-PME 0.14, PME-PLE 0.35, MOA 0.29 long with front width 0.36 and back width 0.34. Clypeus height 0.09. Sternum cordate, dark brown; chelicerae yellowish brown, with four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth; gnathocoxae and labium grayish brown. Legs yellow with grayish brown annuli, leg measurements: I 4.55 (1.50, 1.65, 0.95, 0.45), II 4.20 (1.35, 1.50, 0.90, 0.45), III 2.60 (0.85, 0.90, 0.50, 0.35), IV 3.95 (1.30, 1.30, 0.90, 0.45), leg formula: I, II, IV, III. Ophisthosoma subtriangular, pointed posteriorly, slightly longer than wide, dorsum with a wide light folium and grayish brown margins, a black spot situated on posterior end ( Fig. 1 ). Venter grayish brown with two pairs of white spots. Epigynum triangular, scape rimmed ( Figs 3–5 ); copulatory ducts short, curved ( Fig 5 ); spermathecae elliptical ( Figs 3–5 ).

Male (based on YHY37): Total length 2.85. Prosoma 1.50 long, 1.20 wide; ophisthosoma 1.50 long, 1.35 wide. Coloration as in female ( Fig. 2 ). Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.08, PLE 0.08, AME 0.09, PME 0.10; AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.11, PME-PLE 0.23, MOA 0.26 long with front width 0.28 and back width 0.29. Leg measurements: I 3.90 (1.50, 1.05, 0.90, 0.45), II 3.50 (1.35, 1.00, 0.75, 0.40), III 2.15 (0.80, 0.65, 0.40, 0.30), IV 3.25 (1.15, 1.10, 0.65, 0.35), leg formula: I, II, IV, III. Pedipalp with small paracymbium ( Fig. 7 ); median apophysis large, with wide base and a long spur ( Figs. 6–8 ); conductor membranous ( Figs 6–7 ); embolus fused with terminal apophysis, wide basally, curved and pointed distally ( Figs 6–7 ).

Variation. Females, total length 3.00–4.30; males, total length 2.85–3.00. The total length of both females and males is smaller than that of the specimens from Taiwan and India. Spermathecae elliptical in specimens from Yunnan, while nearly rounded in specimens from Taiwan and India.

Distribution. China (Yunnan), India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889). 1, female habitus, dorsal view; 2, male habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 8. Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889). 3, epigynum, ventral view; 4, epigynum, lateral view; 5, vulva, dorsal view; 6, left palp, prolateral view; 7, left palp, ventral view; 8, median apophysis. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Distribution records of the species: 34, Eriovixia excelsa (Simon, 1889); 35, Eriovixia pseudocentrodes (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906); 36, Eriovixia sticta n. sp.; 37, Eriovixia yunnanensis (Yin et al., 1990).