Two new species of the orb-weaver genus Chorizopes from Yunnan, China (Araneae, Araneidae).

Abstract

Two new species of the orb-weaver genus Chorizopes from Yunnan Province, China are described: Chorizopes albus sp. n. (male and female) from the Gaoligong Mountains and Ailao Mountains, and Chorizopes longus sp. n. (male and female) from the Gaoligong Mountains. Chorizopes albus sp. n. can be distinguished from the related species Chorizopes shimenensis by: 1) median apophysis widest at the middle part versus widest at the base in the latter; 2) median apophysis without the dorsal spur found in that of the latter; 3) spermathecae spherical versus ovoid in the latter; 4) having one pair of large white spots on posterior lateral area of abdomen versus having two pairs of crescent white patches with dark edges on dorsal abdomen in the latter. Chorizopes longus sp. n. can be separated from the similar species Chorizopes tumens by: 1) the median apophysis having a knob on the distal half versus having a knob on the basic half in the latter; 2) male palp having a spur versus absent in the latter; 3) the width of the groove between the paracymbium and cymbium as thick as the paracymbium versus two times as thick as the paracymbium in the latter; 4) copulatory duct attached on anterior ventral of the spermatheca versus on anterior dorsal in the latter. Photos of body and copulatory organs, line drawings of copulatory organs, as well as the distribution data are provided. The type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Sciences, at the Hunan Normal University (HNU) and the Museum of Tongren University (MTU).