Gasteracantha kuhli C. L. Koch, 1837

Tan, Ji, Chan, Zi Yang, Ong, Ching Ang & Yong, Hoi Sen, 2019, Phylogenetic relationships of Actinacantha Simon, Gasteracantha Sundevall, Macracantha Hasselt and Thelacantha Simon spiny orbweavers (Araneae: Araneidae) in Peninsular Malaysia, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 67, pp. 32-55 : 46

Gasteracantha kuhli C. L. Koch, 1837

( Figs. 1E , 8 A−E)

Gasteracantha kuhlii C. L. Koch, 1837: 20 , fig. 262

Gasteracantha kuhli Dahl, 1914: 262

Gasteracantha kuhli Yin et al., 2012: 582 , figs. 280a−f

Gasteracantha kuhli Kim & Lee, 2012: 74 , figs. 53A−D, pl. 13

Gasteracantha kuhlii Sen et al., 2015: 108 , figs. 622−626, pl. 21

Gasteracantha kuhlii Roy, Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2017: 6 , figs. 7−12, 167

Material examined. MALAYSIA. 1 female (reg. UIR0200414- GKUH1 ), Kepong, Selangor, coll. Tan J, 20 Apr.2014 ; 1 female (reg. UIR031014- GKUH2 ), Sungai Tekala, Hulu Langat, Selangor, coll. Tan J, 03 Oct.2014 ; 1 female (reg. UIR091116- GKUH3 ), Sungai Relau, Pahang, coll. Tan J, 09 Nov.2016 .

Diagnosis. Female individuals of G. kuhli are tiny (body length 6−8 mm) and display a dorsally white abdomen with several pairs of black patches at the borders which may or may not be interconnected. All three pairs of abdominal spines are short, with the posterior pair similar or slightly longer than that of the median spines.

Natural history. Female individuals were collected from conspicuous webs in parks, and disturbed forests. In Peninsular Malaysia, this common species is observed in the lowlands and at high elevations (<1,200 m). Males not observed.

Distribution. India, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

Figures

Fig. 1. General habitus. A, Actinacantha globulata (Walckenaer, 1841), sub-female; B, Gasteracantha diardi (Lucas, 1835), female; C, G. diardi yellow morph, female; D, G. diardi white morph, sub-female; E, G. kuhli, female; F, Gasteracantha hasselti C. L. Koch, 1837, female; G, Macracantha arcuata (Fabricius, 1793), female; H, Thelacantha brevispina (Doleschall, 1857), female; I, G. mengei Keyserling, 1864, female. Photos by Tan Ji.

Fig. 8. Epigynal structure of Gasteracantha kuhli C. L. Koch, 1837. A, Ventral view; B, Posterior view; C, Lateral view; D, Dorsal view; E, Anterior view. Scale = 100 µm. CO = Copulatory opening; FD = Fertilisation duct; S = Spermatheca.