On nine species of the spider genus Eriovixia (Araneae, Araneidae) from Xishuangbanna, China

Abstract Species of the genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are reviewed, including seven new species: E. ganaesp. nov. (♂♀), E. liuhongisp. nov. (♂♀), E. tangisp. nov. (♂♀), E. wangchengisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yaoisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yinaesp. nov. (♂♀) and E. zhengisp. nov. (♂♀). The male of E. yunnanensis (Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990) is described for the first time. The previous description of E. yunnanensis from Tengchong, Yunnan by Mi et al. (2010) refers to E. pengisp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species and E. yunnanensis from Xishuangbanna are provided.


Introduction
Eriovixia Archer, 1951 is a genus of the spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757, with 25 named species occurring in Africa (three species) and Asia (22). All of the African species were originally described more than 100 years ago and there have been no publications on them in the last 50 years. In Japan, the species have been well studied Eriovixia ganae sp. nov. http://zoobank.org/F7E6F4F5-73DB-45CA-9BB4-D38FB468C066 Figs 1-2, 17A, 19A, 20A Figure 1. Eriovixia ganae sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype A male palp, dorsal view B ibid., prolateral view C holotype habitus, dorsal view D ibid., lateral view E paratype habitus, dorsal view F ibid., ventral view G ibid., lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A, B); 1 mm (C-G).
yellow with a rhombic dark patch, terminus with two pairs of very short tubercles; ventre greyish-yellow, with a pair of white spots and brown patches. Spinnerets yellowish-brown.
Palp (Figs 1A,B and 17A): median apophysis prominent, about 3/5 width of the bulb diameter in apical view, with 2 spurs basally and concave distally; embolus long, flattened and bent distally, curled; terminal apophysis triangular in apical view, about 1.35 times longer than wide, tapered distally.
Epigyne (Fig. 2) square shaped, about 1.2 times longer than wide; median plate keeled; copulatory openings round; copulatory ducts twisted and very short, about as long as 2 diameters of spermathecae; spermathecae globular, separated from each other.
Epigyne (Fig. 4)  Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the late Dr. Guo Tang for his contribution to the taxonomy of the spider family Thomisidae in China and he was one of the collectors of the type specimens; noun (name) in genitive case. Diagnosis. Eriovixia tangi sp. nov. resembles E. cavaleriei by having a similar abdominal pattern, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) male palpal femur with large apophysis vs. absent; 2) kidney-shaped, long spermathecae vs. ovoid; and 3) terminal apophysis covered with small denticles vs. lacking denticles.
Palp (Figs 5A, B, 17C): with a large, distally expanded femoral apophysis; median apophysis slightly wider than bulb diameter in apical view, curled laterally; embolus small, square at base in prolateral view, covered with small denticles; terminal apophysis large, rounded, well sclerotised with dozens of fine denticles; conductor flat, about 3/5 width of bulb diameter in apical view.
Epigyne ( Fig. 6) about 1.8 times longer than wide, triangular and tapering posteriorly, depressed anteriorly; copulatory openings close to tip of scape; copulatory ducts very long, touching each other at their origin, then turned dorsally and twisted near lateral edge, connected to spermathecae medially; spermathecae long, kidney shaped, posterior end larger than anterior end, touching each other posteriorly.
Variation  Etymology. The specific name is a patronym of Dr. Zhiyuan Yao (College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University), one of the collectors of the type specimens; noun (name) in genitive case.
Epigyne (Fig. 10) about 1.2 times longer than wide, with a triangular, laterally constricted scape; median plate keeled; copulatory openings arcuate in posterior view; copulatory ducts directed ventrally and extended anteriorly, then ventrally again, con-nected to the spermathecae at its posterior surface; spermathecae globular, separated from each other.
Epigyne (Fig. 12) triangular, about 1.1 times wider than long; median plate strongly keeled; copulatory openings round; copulatory ducts long, directed medially from their origin, then turned to the lateral edge and twisted to connect to the spermathecae ventrally; spermathecae ovoid, separated from each other.
Diagnosis. This new species is very similar to E. yunnanensis in appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) having a thread-like terminal apophysis vs. not thread-like (Figs 13A, B and 18C); 2) the straight and pointed embolus vs. curved and non-tapering embolus (Fig. 13A); 3) the branches of the median apophysis about 45° apart vs. very close to each other (Figs 13A, B, 18C); 4) a pair of rhomboidal copulatory openings vs. arcuate (Fig. 14B, D). It is somewhat similar to E. yaoi sp. nov. by the copulatory organs and the habitus, but differs in having: 1) a thread-like terminal apophysis vs. bifurcated (Figs 9A, B, 18A); 2) straight embolus vs. curved (Fig. 9A) Carapace yellow-brown with yellow radial patches, cervical groove conspicuous, cephalic protuberance wider than AME diameter at base and less than an AME diameter in length. Chelicerae, endites, labium and sternum pale yellow. Legs yellow with inconspicuous dark rings. Abdomen about 1.5 times longer than wide, approximately straight posteriorly, dorsum with a wide, greyish-brown folium; ventre greyish-yellow. Palp (Figs 15A, B, 18D): median apophysis with a lamella and 2 spurs; embolus straight, as long as terminal apophysis in apical view; conductor bent at middle part and with pointed spur at base; terminal apophysis about 2 times longer than wide, with a spur close to embolus in apical view.