Amaurobius C. L. Koch 1837
Creators: name: Zhang, Li
name: Wang, Lu-Yu
name: Zhang, Zhi-Sheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Amaurobiidae
Amaurobius

description: Genus Amaurobius C.L. Koch, 1837
Type species. Amaurobius fenestralis (Ström, 1768), designated by Thorell, 1870, 126.
Diagnosis. Amaurobius is generally very similar to Taira, Callobius, Cybaeopsis etc, but differs from other genera by a different shape of retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) and the branches of dorsal tibial apophysis (DTA). The RTA of Amaurobius is wider than long and blunt (Figs 1D–E, 2F–G, 3D, 4D–E, 5F–G, 6D) (longer than wide, somewhat pointed in Callobius, longer than wide, blunt or bifurcate in Cybaeopsis) and the exterior branch of dorsal tibial apophysis (eDTA) is longer than interior branch of dorsal tibial apophysis (iDTA) (Figs 1C, 1E, 2E, 2G, 3C–D, 4C–E, 5E–G, 6C–D) (eDTA shorter than iDTA in Taira). Additionally, the median apophysis is relatively thin and hook-shaped (Figs 1C–E, 2E–G, 3A, 4D–E, 5F–G, 6A) (broad in Callobius and Cybaeopsis). Epigynes of Amaurobius and Taira have widely separated lateral teeth but differ from Callobius and Cybaeopsis, which have two lobes almost connected to each other.
Amaurobius songi sp. nov. (宋氏暗蛛) Figures 1A–E, 2A–G, 3A–D, 7
Type material. Holotype male, China, Sichuan, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Maliugou, 30°47.295′N, 103°13.797′E, elev. 1494 m, 3 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg. Paratypes (13 males and 33 females): 1 male and 6 females, with same data as holotype; 2 males and 1 female, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Shaoyaogou, 30°47.577′N, 103°12.683′E, elev. 1641 m, 27 August 2016, L.Y. Wang and Z.S. Wu leg.; 4 males and 5 females, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Maliugou, 30°47.511′N, 103°13.778′E, elev. 1445 m, 28 August 2016, L.Y. Wang and Z.S. Wu leg.; 2 males, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Shaoyaogou, 30°47. 791′N, 103°12.853′ E, elev. 1623 m, 28 August 2016, L.Y. Wang and Z.S. Wu leg.; 4 females, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Shaoyaogou, 30°47. 791′N, 103°12.853′E, elev. 1634 m, 2 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg.; 1 male and 3 females, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Shaoyaogou, 30°47.577′N, 103°12.683′E, elev. 1641 m, 2 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg.; 3 males and 3 females, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Maliugou, 30°47.511′N, 103°13.778′E, elev. 1445 m, 3 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg.; 10 females, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Maliugou, 30°47.877′N, 103°13.537′E, elev. 1651 m, 3 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg.; 1 female, Anzihe Nature Reserve, Maliugou, 30°46.790′N, 103°13.530′E, elev. 1692 m, 3 October 2016, L.Y. Wang, Y.C. Wang and K.Y. Xu leg.
Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of the famous Chinese Arachnologist, Prof. Da-Xiang Song of Hebei University, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to A. spinatus sp. nov. (Figs 4A–E, 5C–G, 6A–D) in being relatively small and having similarly shaped copulatory organs, but differs from the latter in that the RTA is as wide as half of tibial width, widely separated eDTA and iDTA, very close distance between the end of embolus and tip of median apophysis of male pedipalp (Figs 1C–E, 2E–G, 3A, 3C–D); the same length as width of median lobe and widely separated spermathecae of epigyne (Figs 1A–B, 2C–D, 3B).
Description. Male. Total length 3.90–4.54. Holotype (Fig. 2A) total length 4.09. Carapace 2.05 long, 1.55 wide; opisthosoma 2.04 long, 1.52 wide. Carapace and legs brownish yellow, with pattern: sides of cephalic part and thoracic striae blackish. Abdomen greyish, with indistinct pattern of light spots. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.07, ALE 0.15, PME 0.11, PLE 0.14; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.13, ALE–PLE 0.05. MOA 0.36 long, front width 0.19, back width 0.35. Clypeus height 0.14. Chelicerae dark, swollen in front, with four promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Carapace with dorsal darker radiating strips, fovea and eye region dark brown. Endites yellow brown, longer than wide. Labium brown, as long as wide. Sternum yellow brown, heart-shaped, with sparse brown hairs. Legs light brownish without annulations, tarsi with three claws, scopula and claws tufts absent. Calamistrum about 1/3 of metatarsus length. Leg measurements: I 7.50 (2.01, 2.65, 1.87, 0.97); II 5.64 (1.60, 1.90, 1.30, 0.84); III 4.80 (1.46, 1.54, 1.18, 0.62); IV 5.93 (1.70, 1.98, 1.55, 0.70). Leg formula: 1423. Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum yellow brown, with black brown markings and six bright chevron-shaped markings. Venter yellowish brown.
Male pedipalp (Figs 1C–E, 2E–G, 3A, C–D). Tibia with large square-shaped RTA, originating near the tip of tibia. DTA large, with two branches. The interior branch (iDTA) small, finger-like and the exterior one (eDTA) long, slightly curved dorsally. Retrobasal part of cymbium with long fold. Embolus originating prolaterally, short, flat and sharply pointed and with a thin apex. Conductor membranous and sheet-like. Median apophysis sclerotized, hook-like, located near the center of tegulum. Sperm duct obvious in the retrolateral view. Tegulum widest in middle part.
Female. Total length 3.63–4.54. One of female paratypes (Fig. 2B) total length 4.54. Carapace 2.16 long, 1.46 wide; opisthosoma 2.35 long, 1.86 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.13, PME 0.11, PLE 0.12; AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.12, ALE–PLE 0.06. MOA 0.33 long, front width 0.36, back width 0.17. Clypeus height 0.14. Leg measurements: I 5.38 (1.51, 1.87, 1.20, 0.80); II 4.06 (1.20, 1.45, 0.82, 0.59); III 3.52 (1.16, 1.25, 0.68, 0.43); IV 4.86 (1.50, 1.60, 1.16, 0.60). Leg formula: 1423. Other characters as for male holotype.
Epigyne (Figs 1A–B, 2C–D, 3B) with a small median lobe, its width equals length. Lateral teeth wide, with blunt apex. Copulatory ducts transverse, located between spermathecae and connected to each other. Spermethecae ball-shaped, separated by almost its diameter. Fertilization ducts originated posteriorly.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Sichuan, China (Fig. 7).
Amaurobius spinatus sp. nov. (刺暗蛛) Figures 4A–E, 5A–G, 6A–D, 7
Type material. Holotype male, China, Chongqing, Dabashan Nature Reserve: Wulicun, 32°03.836′N, 108°40.238′E, elev. 1275 m, 21 March 2013, X.K. Jiang and X.W. Meng leg. Paratypes: 2 males and 7 females, with same data as holotype.
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin “ spinatus ”, referring to the presence of a strong spine on the apical surface of the dorsal side of the patella.
Diagnosis. The new species differs from A. songi sp. nov. (Figs 1A–E, 2C–G, 3A–D) by the wider RTA, narrow distance between eDTA and iDTA, wider distance between the end (tip) of embolus and median apophysis widely separated end of embolus with median apophysis of male pedipalp (Figs 4C–E, 5E–G, 6A, 6C–D); median lobe wider than long, and narrow distance between spermathecae of epigyne (Figs 4A–B, 5C–D, 6B).
Description. Male. Total length 3.50–3.56. Holotype (Fig. 5A) total length 3.55. Carapace 2.06 long, 1.40 wide; opisthosoma 1.54 long, 1.22 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.05, ALE 0.13, PME 0.11, PLE 0.11; AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.09, PME–PME 0.12, PME–PLE 0.13, ALE–PLE 0.05. MOA 0.25 long, front width 0.15, back width 0.33. Clypeus height 0.14. Chelicerae dark, swollen in front with four promarginal and four retromarginal teeth. Carapace light brown with dorsal darker radiating strips, fovea and eye region dark brown. Endites yellow brown, longer than wide. Labium yellow brown, as long as wide. Sternum yellow brown, heartshaped, with sparse brown hairs. Legs light brownish without rings, tarsi with three claws, scopula and claws tufts absent. Calamistrum about 1/3 of metatarsus length. Leg measurements: I 6.69 (1.81, 2.33, 1.66, 0.89); II 4.99 (1.43, 1.68, 1.21, 0.67); III 4.07 (1.25, 1.30, 0.97, 0.55); IV 5.10 (1.48, 1.72, 1.31, 0.59). Leg formula: 1423. Opisthosoma oval. Dorsum yellow brown with black brown markings and six bright chevron-shaped markings. Venter yellowish brown.
Male pedipalp (Figs 4C–E, 5E–G, 6A, C–D). Patella with a strong spine dorsa-apically. Tibia with large square-shaped RTA, originating near the base of tibia. DTA large, with a relatively long eDTA and a dorsally extending iDTA. Embolus originating prolaterally, short, flat and sharply pointed, with a thin apex. Conductor membranous and sheet-like. Median apophysis sclerotized and hook-like. Sperm duct present in retrolateral view. Tegulum widest in middle part.
Female. Total length 3.52–4.24. One of female paratypes (Fig. 5B) total length 3.69. Carapace 1.53 long, 1.11 wide; opisthosoma 2.20 long, 1.60 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.04, ALE 0.11, PME 0.10, PLE 0.10; AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.05, PME–PLE 0.07, ALE–PLE 0.04. MOA 0.33 long, front width 0.16, back width 0.31. Clypeus height 0.06. Leg measurements: I 3.95 (1.16, 1.30, 0.92, 0.57); II 3.04(0.97, 0.91, 0.70, 0.46); III 2.83(0.95, 0.82, 0.71, 0.35); IV 3.51(1.10, 1.15, 0.86, 0.40). Leg formula: 1423. Other characters as for male holotype.
Epigyne (Figs 4A–B, 5C–D, 6B) with a median lobe that is large and wider than long. Lateral teeth thin and close to the posterior margin of median lobe. Copulatory ducts transverse, located between spermathecae and connected to each other. Spermethecae ball-like, with narrow distance to each other. Fertilization ducts originating posteriorly.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Chongqing, China (Fig. 7).
description: Published as part of Zhang, Li, Wang, Lu-Yu & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2018, The first record of Amaurobius C. L. Koch, 1837 (Araneae, Amaurobiidae) from China, with description of two new species, pp. 363-372 in Zootaxa 4402 (2) on pages 364-371, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4402.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/1209007