Two new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) and first description of A. wulongensis male from China

Abstract Two new species of Araneus Clerck, 1757 are described: A. conexussp. nov. (♂♀) and A. digitatussp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan and Hubei provinces. The male of A. wulongensis Song & Zhu, 1992 is described here for the first time. All species treated in this study belong to A. strurmi species group. Detailed description and illustrations of somatic features, and copulatory organs as well as distribution maps are provided.


Introduction
Araneus Clerck, 1757, the largest genus of the family, currently comprises 712 named species (112 of the them are listed as nomina dubia) distributed all over the world (WSC 2019). Until now, 114 species are known from China (Li and Lin 2016;Zhou et al. 2017) and 20 of them have been reported from the Gaoligong and Wuling mountains, central and southwestern China (Yin et al. 1990(Yin et al. , 1997(Yin et al. , 2009Zhu et al. 1994;Song and Zhu 1992;Song and Li 1997). Araneidae is relatively well-studied family in China due to revisions made by Yin et al. (1990Yin et al. ( , 1997.
While examining specimens collected from the Gaoligong and Wuling mountains, two new species were recognized and are described here. The male of A. wulongensis Song & Zhu, 1992, a species known previously by only the holotype female, is described here for the first time, and the female is redescribed based on material collected from the type locality.

Material and methods
Specimens were collected by hand picking, beating shrubs and stored in 75% ethanol. Epigynes were cleared in trypsin enzyme solution before examination and photography. Left male palps were used for description and illustration. Specimens were examined and measured with a Leica M205C stereomicroscope. Photos were taken with a digital camera Canon PowerShot G12 mounted on an Olympus BX53 and a Leica MC170 HD mounted on a Leica M205C. Compound focus images were generated using Helicon Focus v. 3.10. Map was created by ArcMap v. 10.2, and then modified by using Adobe Photoshop CS2 Extended (Fig. 12). Leg measurements are given in the following order: total length (femur, patella + tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). All measurements are given in millimeters (mm). All the type specimens treated in this study are deposited at the College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China. The terminology used in text and figure legends follows Guo et al. (2011).

Family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 Genus Araneus Clerck, 1757
The genus Araneus is polyphyletic. All species treated in this study belong to the A. sturmi group; A. sturmi is the type species of Atea C.L. Koch, 1837, a genus currently considered as a junior synonym of Araneus (Levi 1991 fig. 18), but can be distinguished by: 1) median  apophysis with a spur and 4-6 teeth in A. conexus sp. nov. vs with 2 large teeth in A. stella; 2) subterminal apophysis longer than wide, with blunt tip in A. conexus sp. nov. vs almost as long as wide, with pointed tip in A. stella; 3) terminal apophysis almost parallel to the embolus and subterminal apophysis in prolateral view in A. conexus sp. nov. vs almost perpendicular, tip overlapping the conductor in A. stella; 4) distal part of embolus hook-shaped in A. conexus sp. nov. vs straight in A. stella; 5) scape almost as long as epigyne in A. conexus sp. nov. vs about 2 times longer than epigyne in A. stella; 6) abdomen with a pair of humps at the anterior part, almost merged with each other in A. conexus sp. nov. vs humps not merged and located at the lateral sides in A. stella. The female of new species resembles A. bicavus Zhu & Wang, 1994(Yin et al. 1997), but can be distinguished by: 1) the abdomen with a pair of large humps at the anterior part, almost merged with each other in A. conexus sp. nov. vs small humps not merged and located at the lateral sides in A. bicavus; 2) the epigyne with a depression positioned vertically on each side of the scape in A. conexus sp. nov. vs with a circular depression in A. bicavus. The female also resembles A. boesenbergi (Fox, 1938) (Yin et  Description. Male (holotype) ( Fig. 1A-C): total length 3.04. Carapace 1.62 long, 1.30 wide, yellow; fovea, cervical, and radial grooves distinct. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.08; ALE 0.09; PME 0.10; PLE 0.08; AME-AME 0.06; AME-ALE 0.23; PME-PME 0.14; PME-PLE 0.24; MOL 0.24; MOA 0.23; MOP 0.27. Sternum yellowish brown, with transverse light band anteriorly. Chelicerae yellow. Endites yellow, distal end pale. Labium brown, distal part pale yellow. Legs yellow, with darkbrown annuli. Tibia I slightly curved, with several strong spines: 3d, 1v, 7p, 1r; tibia II spines: 3d, 3v, 6p, 1r. Leg lengths: I, 6.54 (1.86, 2.25, 1.51, 0.92); II, 5.21 (1.56, 1.77, 1.28, 0.60); III, 3.04 (1.03, 1.02, 0.60, 0.39); IV, 4.22 (1.33, 1.44, 0.98, 0.47). Abdomen 2.63 long, 1.30 wide, oval, dorsum grayish yellow, anterior part dark and slightly bulged in the middle, posterior part with 4 dark transverse bands, 4 pairs of sigillae; ventral side with a longitudinal brown band, lateral sides grayish yellow. Spinnerets yellowish brown.
Variation (paratype male and female from GKJ026) (Fig. 5): abdomen with a pair of large dark lateral spots, and pair of herringbones spots in the middle area of dorsum. The structure of copulatory organs as in holotype and paratypes of Peng060516.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality.  fig. 1), but can be distinguished by: 1) embolus hook-shaped, distal part slender in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs sickle-shaped, distal part not slender in A. zhaoi; 2) tegular rim almost straight in ventral view in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs waved in A. zhaoi; 3) copulatory openings distinct in ventral view in A. digitatus sp. nov. vs indistinct in A. zhaoi.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality.