Araneus colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992

Figs 3, 4, 15E-H, 17

Araneus colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992: 169, fig. 4A, B; Song and Li 1997: 413, fig. 16A, B; Yin et al. 1997: 146, fig. 61a-c; Song et al. 1999: 238, fig. 136S, T (type material not examined).

Araneus octodentalis Song & Zhu, 1992: 169, fig. 5A, B; Song and Li 1997: 414, fig. 17A, B; Yin et al. 1997: 149, fig. 64a-c; Song et al. 1999: 240, fig. 144A, B (syn. nov., type material not examined).

Material examined.

4♂ 5♀ (TRU- Araneidae -182-190), China: Guizhou Province, Tongren City, Yinjiang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Ziwei Township, Dayuanzhi Village, Huguosi (27°54.54'N, 108°46.57'E, ca 1660 m), 9.V.2020, X.Q. Mi et al. leg .

Diagnosis.

This species resembles A. yangchuandongi sp. nov., A. conexus Liu, Irfan, Yang & Peng, 2019, and A. zhoui Mi & Wang, 2023 in somatic morphology, but it can be distinguished from A. yangchuandongi sp. nov. in: 1) carapace lacking macrosetae anterior to fovea (Fig. 3E, H) vs having ten macrosetae (Fig. 11E, G); 2) epigyne scape twisted into an S-shape (Fig. 3A) vs almost straight (Fig. 11A, B); 3) spermathecae oval (Fig. 3D) vs spherical (Fig. 11D); 4) spermathecae separated by ~ 1.6 × of the spermathecae width (Fig. 3D) vs nearly touching each other (Fig. 11D); 5) terminal apophysis membranous (Fig. 4A-E) vs pointed and heavily sclerotized (Fig. 12A-E); 6) conductor ~ 3.6 × longer than wide in retrolateral view (Fig. 4B) vs about equal length to width (Fig. 12B); and 7) embolus threadlike (Fig. 4A-E) vs tapered (Fig. 12C, D). It differs A. conexus in: 1) the epigyne scape extremely twisted into an S-shape (Fig. 3A) vs almost straight (Liu et al. 2019: fig. 4A, B); 2) spermathecae separated by ~ 1.6 × of the spermathecae width (Fig. 3D) vs nearly touching each other (Liu et al. 2019: fig. 4C, D); 3) terminal apophysis membranous (Fig. 4A-E) vs pointed (Liu et al. 2019: figs 2A, B, D, E, 3, 5C); 4) subterminal apophysis with two spurs (Fig. 4A, C) vs lacking spurs (Liu et al. 2019: figs 2A, D, 3A-D, 5C); 5) embolus threadlike (Fig. 4A-E) vs tapered (Liu et al. 2019: figs 2A, D, 3A-D, 5C); and 6) conductor ~3.6 × longer than wide in retrolateral view (Fig. 4B) vs slightly wider than long (Liu et al. 2019: figs 2A, B, D, E, 3A, B, 5C). It differs from A. zhoui in: 1) female carapace lacking short spines anterior to fovea (Fig. 3E, H) vs with two short spines (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 7H); 2) epigyne scape extremely twisted into an S-shape (Fig. 3A) vs slightly twisted (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 7A, B); 3) spermathecae separated by ~ 1.6 × of the spermathecae width (Fig. 3D) vs nearly touching each other (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 7D); 4) conductor ~ 3.6 × longer than wide in retrolateral view (Fig. 4B) vs slightly wider than long (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 8C); 5) embolus threadlike (Fig. 4A-E) vs tapered (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 8A, E); and 6) subterminal apophysis having two spurs (Fig. 4A, C) vs lacking (Wu et al. 2023: fig. 8A, E).

Description.

Male (TRU- Araneidae -182, Figs 3H, I, 4, 15E-H). Total length 3.85. Carapace 2.05 long, 1.80 wide. Abdomen 2.40 long, 1.75 wide. Clypeus 0.08 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.10, PLE 0.08, AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.15, PME-PLE 0.38, MOA length 0.30, anterior width 0.30, posterior width 0.35. Leg measurements: I 7.35 (2.20, 2.50, 1.90, 0.75), II 6.45 (1.95, 2.20, 1.60, 0.70), III 3.85 (1.30, 1.25, 0.80, 0.50), IV 5.55 (1.80, 1.80, 1.35, 0.60). Carapace pear-shaped, yellowish brown with dark setae, cervical groove slightly obvious, fovea depressed. Chelicerae yellow, four promarginal teeth and three retromarginal teeth. Endites square, yellow, with tooth-like process laterally, labium triangular, grayish yellow, both with pale tip. Sternum cordiform, grayish yellow with dark setae. Legs yellow to yellowish brown, without annuli, tibia I with 13 macrosetae, distally with constriction (see arrow in Fig. 15E), tibia II with 12 macrosetae, tibia III with nine macrosetae, tibia IV with 11 macrosetae. Abdomen oval, blunt anteriorly, ~ 1.37 × longer than wide, covered with dense setae, dorsum grayish yellow with three pairs of dark lateral patches posteriorly; venter grayish yellow with pair of longitudinal yellow patches laterally. Spinnerets yellowish brown.

Pedipalp (Fig. 4): with basal femoral protrusion; patella with two bristles; median apophysis large, with a pointed tip and ten teeth; embolus slender, longer than conductor; conductor membranous ~ 3.6 × longer than wide in retrolateral view, with a spur at base; terminal apophysis membranous, approximately equal in length to conductor; subterminal apophysis heavily sclerotized, with two spurs.

Female (TRU- Araneidae -183, Fig. 3A-G). Total length 4.75. Carapace 1.90 long, 1.60 wide. Abdomen 3.75 long, 3.20 wide. Clypeus 0.05 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.11, PLE 0.08, AME-AME 0.15, AME-ALE 0.10, PME-PME 0.15, PME-PLE 0.38, MOA length 0.30, anterior width 0.28, posterior width 0.35. Leg measurements: I 6.25 (1.95, 2.25, 1.40, 0.65), II 5.45 (1.70, 1.95, 1.20, 0.60), III 3.50 (1.20, 1.10, 0.70, 0.50), IV 5.00 (1.60, 1.75, 1.10, 0.55). Habitus similar to that of male but anterior abdominal elevation more obvious; chelicerae, endites, labium, and sternum darker, and abdominal patches much paler.

Epigyne (Fig. 3A-D): ~ 1.69 × wider than long at base; scape twisted into an S-shape, distally spoon shaped; copulatory openings strongly concave, on ventral surface; copulatory ducts extremely long, middle part twisted into a U-shape; spermathecae oval, ~ 1.6 × of the spermathecae width apart.

Variation.

Total length: ♂♂ 3.65-3.85 (n = 4); ♀♀ 4.65-5.20 (n = 5).

Distribution.

Hubei, Guizhou.

Justification of the synonymy.

The holotypes of Araneus colubrinus (only known from a single female) and Araneus octodentalis (only known from a single male) were not examined, but both species can be easily recognized due to the perfect illustrations (Song and Zhu 1992). Although the anterior abdominal elevation of female more obvious than that of male, but both sexes have the same color pattern on dorsal abdomen, the same dimorphism that also exists in some related species, such as A. conexus, A. zhoui, and A. yangchuandongi sp. nov. Moreover, both the holotypes of A. colubrinus and A. octodentalis were collected on the same day in Wuling Mountains (Badong County, Hubei Province). Hence we propose that Araneus colubrinus Song & Zhu, 1992 is a senior synonym of Araneus octodentalis Song & Zhu, 1992.