Nine new species of the spider family Araneidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Abstract Nine new species of the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are described: Acusilastongisp. nov. (♂♀), Chorizopesyuisp. nov. (♂♀), Chorizopesoidesguoisp. nov. (♂♀), Deionechenisp. nov. (♀), D.yangisp. nov. (♂♀), Hypsosingapullasp. nov. (♂♀), Mangorabaiisp. nov. (♂♀), M.cephalasp. nov. (♂♀) and Miloniagemellasp. nov. (♂♀). The genus Milonia Thorell, 1890 is recorded from China for the first time. The previous description of Chorizopesoideswulingensis (Yin, Wang & Xie, 1994) from Libo County, Guizhou by Mi and Wang (2018) refers to Chorizopesoidesannasestakovaesp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species are provided.


Introduction
The spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is the third largest family in Araneae, with a total of 3067 species in 177 genera worldwide (WSC 2021). In China, 402 species in 50 genera have been recorded (Li 2020, Yao and Li 2021. Xishuangbanna Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Yanfeng Tong (Shenyang Normal University), one of the collectors of the type specimens; noun (name) in genitive case.

Chorizopes yui
Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from congeneric species by the: 1) yellowish white abdomen with a dark rhomboid patch; 2) triangular copulatory openings; 3) translucent, thread-like terminal apophysis; 4) fan-shaped median apophysis in prolateral view.
Palp (Figs 5,20B): tibia with a cluster of macrosetae (approx. 12) distal-dorsally, macrosetae about 1.5 times length of tibia; median apophysis about 1/2 length of bulb diameter in apical view, distal end pointed; embolus extremely long, slender, more than two times length of bulb diameter; terminal apophysis membranous, equal in length to embolus; conductor membranous, shorter than median apophysis in prolateral view.
Diagnosis. The new species resembles congeneric species in habitus, but it can be distinguished by the: 1) rhomboid epigyne in ventral view; 2) short, ventrally directed scape.
Variation.  (Figs 11, 20D) Etymology. The species is named after Mr. Yuanfa Yang (Tongren, Guizhou), one of the collectors of the type specimens; noun (name) in genitive case.

Type species Mangora picta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 from Guatemala
Comments. Unlike the typical Mangora species, the two new species in this region both lack trichobothria on the tibia of leg III, but they have some common characters with Mangora, such as the cephalic region of the carapace is about half the maximum width of the thoracic region, the palp with one patellar bristle, and the abdomen oval; thus, we place the two species in Mangora, and phylogenetic analysis will focus on the placement of the two new species. Etymology. The species is named after Mr. Zilong Bai, one of the collectors of the type specimens; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.
The new species differs from congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) the abdomen has two transverse patches and one longitudinal patch; 2) the scape is distally widened; 3) the conductor is long, membranous, and basally trifurcated.
Variation. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Greek word "cephalos", meaning "head", referring to the brown cephalic region of the females; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.
The new species differs from congeneric species by the following combination of characters: 1) a somewhat rectangular scape; 2) a slender, translucent subterminal apophysis; 3) a tegular protuberance near the base of the median apophysis; and 4) an abdomen with an arcuate brown patch anteriorly and four transverse brown patches medially and posteriorly.

Type species Milonia brevipes Thorell, 1890 from Sumatra
Comments. This is a poorly understood genus; all seven species were described more than 100 years ago. Among them, two are known from juveniles, five are known from a single-sex, and no high-quality illustrations of the genitalia were provided in the published literature. We place the new species in this genus based on the following characters: large chelicerae, cylindrical abdomen in female, relatively stout legs, spinnerets of the female situated at the middle part of the ventral abdomen. Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin word "gemella", meaning "twin born", referring to the two white spots on the abdomen ventrally; adjective.
Palp (Figs 18, 21D): with two patellar bristles; median apophysis stout at base, with a slender, curved spur; embolus broad at base, abruptly tapered to a fine tip; conductor broad at base, tapering to a narrow tip; terminal apophysis extremely large, strongly sclerotized, bifurcated distally, one long, narrow branch, one shorter, wider branch (see arrows in Fig. 21D).