Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomy & Inventories
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Corresponding author: Mi Xiaoqi (mixiaoqi1018@163.com)
Academic editor: Emma McCarroll Shaw
Received: 17 Apr 2024 | Accepted: 26 Jun 2024 | Published: 04 Jul 2024
© 2024 Mi Xiaoqi, Tong Zhang, Cheng Wang
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Xiaoqi M, Zhang T, Wang C (2024) Description of two species of the orb-weaver spider genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Araneidae) from Xizang, China. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e125601. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e125601
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The spider genus Argiope Audouin, 1826, comprises 88 species worldwide, including 23 species occurring in China. Two Argiope species were collected by the spider survey on Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve, Xizang, southwest China, conducted in 2023.
Two species of the orb-weaver spider genus Argiope from Xizang, China are described, including a new species, A. beibeng Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) and a known species, A. caesarea Thorell, 1897 (♂♀). The unknown male of A. caesarea is described for the first time.
Taxonomy, Argiopinae, sexual dimorphism, DNA barcoding
The orb-weaver spider genus Argiope is characterised by their showy colorful females and their unique web stabilimenta (
Species group |
Included species |
A. ocula group |
A. ocula Fox, 1938 and A. macrochoera Thorell, 1891 (misidentification, female of A. cameloides Zhu & Song, 1994 according |
A. aemula group |
A. aemula (Walckenaer, 1841) and A. catenulata (Doleschall, 1859) |
A. caesarea group |
A. caesarea Thorell, 1897 |
A. amoena group |
A. amoena L. Koch, 1878, A. boesenbergi Levi, 1983 and A. bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772) |
A. trifasciata group |
A. trifasciata (Forsskål, 1775) |
A. minuta group |
A. minuta Karsch, 1879 and A. perforata Schenkel, 1963 |
A. aetherea group |
A. aetherea (Walckenaer, 1841), A. aetheroides Yin, Wang, Zhang, Peng & Chen, 1989, A. pulchella Thorell, 1881, A. pulchelloides Yin, Wang, Zhang, Peng & Chen, 1989, A. versicolor (Doleschall, 1859), A. cameloides and A. jinghongensis Yin, Peng & Wang, 1994 |
While examining the Argiope specimens from Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve, Xizang, southwest China, Argiope caesarea Thorell, 1897, and a new species, were identified. The goals of the present paper are to describe the new species, and the unknown male of A. caesarea, and to map those species.
All the specimens were collected by beating shrubs or hand collecting and are preserved in 75% ethanol. All the specimens are deposited in the Museum of Tongren University, China (TRU). The specimens were examined with an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope. The epigynes were cleared in lactic acid for examination and imaging. The left male pedipalp was dissected in ethanol for examination, description, and imaging. Photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs were taken with a Kuy Nice digital camera mounted on an Olympus BX43 com pound microscope. Compound focus images were generated using Helicon Focus v. 6.7.1. All measurements are given in millimeters. Leg measurements are given as total length (femur, patella + tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). References to figures in the cited papers are listed in lowercase type (fig. or figs), and figures in this paper are noted with an initial capital (Fig. or Figs).
A partial fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the two species was amplified and sequenced using the primers LCOI1490 and HCOI2198 (
Species |
Voucher code |
Sex |
GenBank accession number |
Argiope beibeng Mi & Wang, sp. nov. |
TRU-Araneidae-315 |
♂ |
PP810205 |
A. beibeng Mi & Wang, sp. nov. |
TRU-Araneidae-316 |
♀ | PP899059 |
A. caesarea Thorell, 1897 |
TRU-Araneidae-317 |
♂ |
PP808887 |
A. caesarea Thorell, 1897 |
TRU-Araneidae-318 |
♀ | PP808888 |
Intraspecific and interspecific nucleotide divergences for two Argiope species using Kimura two-parameter model.
Species |
TRU-Araneidae-315 | TRU-Araneidae-316 | TRU-Araneidae-317 | TRU-Araneidae-318 |
A. beibeng TRU-Araneidae-315 |
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A. beibeng TRU-Araneidae-316 |
0.000 | |||
A. caesarea TRU-Araneidae-317 |
0.161 | 0.161 | ||
A. caesarea TRU-Araneidae-318 |
0.160 | 0.160 | 0.013 |
Abbreviations used in the text and figures are as follows: C conductor; CD copulatory duct; CO copulatory opening; Cr crest; E embolus; FD fertilization duct; MA median apophysis; Pc paracymbium; PP posterior plate; R rim; S septum; Sp spermatheca.
Male (TRU-Araneidae-315). Total length 2.35. Carapace 1.50 long, 1.35 wide; abdomen 1.60 long, 1.05 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.05, PME 0.10, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.15. Legs: I 5.70 (1.60, 1.80, 1.55, 0.75), II 5.40 (1.55, 1.70, 1.45, 0.70), III 2.95 (0.95, 0.90, 0.65, 0.45), IV 4.40 (1.45, 1.30, 1.05, 0.60). Carapace (Fig.
Argiope beibeng Mi & Wang, sp. nov. A–C female paratype TRU-Araneidae-316, D–K male holotype TRU-Araneidae-315. A, D habitus, dorsal view; B, E ibid., ventral view; C, F ibid., lateral view; G abdomen, posterior view H leg I, prolateral view; I leg II, prolateral view; J leg III, prolateral view; K leg IV, prolateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.
Pedipalp (Fig.
Female (TRU-Araneidae-316). Total length 5.80. Carapace 2.70 long, 2.20 wide; abdomen 3.40 long, 3.00 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.08, PME 0.13, PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.13, PME–PME 0.28, PME–PLE 0.30. Legs: I 10.55 (3.10, 3.45, 2.95, 1.05), II 9.80 (3.30, 3.15, 2.35, 1.00), III 6.15 (2.05, 1.85, 1.45, 0.80), IV 9.65 (3.25, 3.00, 2.50, 0.90). Carapace (Fig.
Epigyne (Fig.
Argiope caesarea Thorell, 1897 A–C female TRU-Araneidae-318, D–K male TRU-Araneidae-317. A, D habitus, dorsal view; B, E ibid., ventral view; C, F ibid., lateral view; G leg I, prolateral view; H leg II, prolateral view; I leg III, prolateral view; J leg IV, prolateral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (A–F); 1.0 mm (G–J).
The male of this species resembles A. anasuja Thorell, 1887 in having similar embolus, but differs in: 1) distal end of the median apophysis about equal width to pedipalp tibia (Fig.
The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.
Matching of male and female was justified by DNA barcoding.
Male (TRU-Araneidae-317). Total length 5.10. Carapace 2.80 long, 2.30 wide; abdomen 3.10 long, 2.10 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, ALE 0.10, PME 0.15, PLE 0.13, AME–AME 0.15, AME–ALE 0.10, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.20. Legs: I 13.20 (3.80, 4.00, 3.90, 1.50), II 12.80 (3.80, 4.00, 3.70, 1.30), III 6.80 (2.20, 2.00, 1.70, 0.90), IV 10.60 (3.50, 3.10, 3.00, 1.00). Carapace (Fig.
Pedipalp (Fig.
Female (TRU-Araneidae-318). Total length 30.10. Carapace 11.10 long, 9.00 wide; abdomen 20.20 long, 17.40 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.40, ALE 0.25, PME 0.35, PLE 0.35, AME–AME 0.40, AME–ALE 0.90, PME–PME 0.75, PME–PLE 1.50. Legs: I 51.60 (16.30, 15.80, 16.20, 3.30), II 50.70 (15.80, 15.90, 16.00, 3.00), III 31.20 (11.20, 9.40, 8.20, 2.40), IV 48.30 (17.20, 14.50, 14.10, 2.50). Carapace (Fig.
Epigyne (Fig.
The male of this species resembles A. pulchella Thorell, 1881 and A. versicolor (Doleschall, 1859) in general shape of the pedipalp, but differs in: 1) ventral surface of middle embolus with two crests (Fig.
China - Xizang, Yunnan (Fig.
Female TRU-Araneidae-318 and male TRU-Araneidae-317 were collected in the same web, and matching of male and female was also justified by DNA barcoding.
We thank Nonghao Yao, Hong Yao and Shikai Li for collecting the specimens. This research was supported by the Scientific Monitoring Project of Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve (Linzhi Forestry and Grassland Bureau), the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC-31660609, 32200369) and the Science and Technology Project Foundation ([2020]1Z014) and Key Laboratory Project ([2020]2003) of Guizhou Province.