Larinioides folium (Schrank, 1803)

Figs 7, 8 G, 9G, 10G, 15, 16, 25B, 31

Epeira folium Schrank 1803: 240 (D♀).

Epeira apoclysa Audouin 1826: 341, pl. 3, fig. 1 (♂, misidentified). Epeira cornuta lurida Thorell 1875: 9 (D♀; nomen oblitum).

Epeira suspicax O. Pickard-Cambridge 1876: 577 (D♀).

Araneus cornutus orientalis Fage 1921: 176, figs. 4B–C (D♂♀). Larinioides dernae Caporiacco 1934: 14, fig. 5 (D♀).

Araneus cungei Bakhvalov 1974: 110, figs 59, 61 (D♀). Syn. n. Araneus folium: Thaler 1974: 257, figs 1–2, 5, 7, 10 (♂♀).

Nuctenea cornuta: Levi 1974: 306, figs. 63–66 (♀, misidentified). Larinioides suspicax: Levy 1998: 347, figs 144–150 (removed ♂♀ from synonymy of L. folium). Larinioides folium: Mikhailov 2013a: 265 (name reinstated).

For a complete list of references see Platnick (2014).

Misidentifications:

L. suspicax Trotta, 2005: 162, fig. 231. The figure refers to L. cornutus . Trotta (2005) used copies of figures published by other authors and partly confused L. cornutus with L. folium .

Material examined: SLOVAKIA: 1♂ (6 October 2008): Bratislava, Devínska Nová Ves, meadow near river Morava, 48°12’N 16°58’E, 138 m, A. Šestáková (AS); 2♀♀ 1juv (10 June 2012): Leles, riparian forest near river, 48°28’N 22°E, 99 m, M. Holecová (AS); 1♂ 0 8 (20 June 2008): Ipeľ, near river, Z. Krumpálová (AS); 1♂ 2♀♀ (31 July 2006): Spišská Nová Ves, near water, 48°55’N 22°33’E, 498 m, A. Šestáková (AS); 1♀ (1 August 2010): Rapovce, 48°16’N 19°41’E, 176 m, Ľ. Černecká (LC); 1♂ (15 September 2010): Malý Kiarov, wetland, 48°6’N 19°26’E, 147 m, Ľ. Černecká (LC). TURKEY: 1♀ (23 May 2005): Taskesigi, wetland, J. Dolanský (AS). UKRAINE: 1♂ 2♀ (4 June 1982): Razdol’nenski District, Portovoye, Lebyazh’i islands, V. Bragina (IBPN); 1♂ (17 August 1970), Kherson Province, Zheleznyi Port, V.Y. Fet (IBPN). RUSSIA: 2♂ (1982), Kuibyshev (=Samara) Province, Zhiguli Reserve, Yu.Krasnobaev (IBPN); 2♀ (13 June 1909), Tomsk Area, Zelenogorsk, Novinskoye Vil., Lavrov (ZISP); 1♀ (July 1897), Krasnoyarsk Province, Minusinsk District, Shiro Lake, Yu. Wagner (ZISP). ISRAEL: 1♂ (6 September 2011): Be'er Masha'bim, near pond, 31°1’N 34°45’E, 326 m, M. Forman (AS). GEORGIA: 1♂ (16 June 1909), Kobuleti, coll. unknown (ZISP). ARMENIA: 2♂ 2♀ (3 August 1983), Sevan Lake, 2060 m, D.V. Logunov (IBPN). IRAN: 12♂ 5♀ (September 2005): Tehran, Karaj, H. Ghahari (IBPN). KAZAKHSTAN: 2♂ 3♀ (16 June 1982): Uralsk Area, Sorkul Lake shore, 54°05'45"N 63°28'36"E, K.G. Mikhailov (ZMMU); 1♀ (Summer 1982), Kustanai Province, Kustri, S. Udalov (IBPN); 1♀ (23 May 1982), Barsakelmes Island, D.D. Piryulin (IBPN); 2♀ (2 May 1983), Dzhambul Area, Georgiyevka, V.I. Ovtsharenko (IBPN). UZBEKISTAN: 1♂ 1♀ (17 August 1873), Golodnaya Steppe, Ansher, O.O. Gorbatovski (ZISP). KYRGYZSTAN: 2♀ (21 June 1983), Issyk-Kul’ Province, Kungei-Alatoo, Chon-Uryukty Gorge, 2000–2500 m, V. Ovtsharenko (IBPN); 1♀ (17 June 1979), Frunze City, S.L. Zonstein (IBPN).

Diagnosis. The species is similar to L. chabarovi and very similar to L. cornutus . From the L. chabarovi it can be distinguished by the copulatory organs. From sibling L. cornutus it differs by a square-shaped epigyne (rounded in L. cornutus) (Fig. 31) and by the toothed subterminal apophysis 2 (Figs 15, 16, blue).

Description. Carapace, chelicerae and sternum uniformly brown. Dorsum of abdomen with brown folium and pale cross (Figs 7 A, C). Legs yellow, dark annulated.

Male. Total length 5.8–7.4. Carapace 3.4–4.0 long, 2.8–3.2 wide. Length of the first patella + tibia 5.4–8.0. Tibia II unmodified (Fig. 8 G). Palp as in Figs 9 G, 10G, 15, 16, 25B; bulbus with tapered terminal apophysis; blunt subterminal apophysis 1; toothed subterminal apophysis 2; and embolus with a flat shield; median apophysis with flat rounded lower part and narrow upper one with a pointed tip; conductor rounded.

Female. Total length 7.4–10.6. Carapace 3.0–4.7 long, 2.6–3.6 wide. Length of the first patella + tibia 3.2–5.8. Epigyne as Fig. 31, scapus short and straight; median plate anteriorly squared; surrounded by lateral lamellae, anteriorly folded into triangular lobes covering copulatory openings; basal lamellae well developed.

Distribution. This species is known from Europe to Tuva (Marusik et al. 2000).

Comments. The species was known for a long time as L. folium Schrank, 1803 . Levy (1998) considered this name a nomen dubium, and instead of introducing a neotype (to keep stability), he revalidated the name L. suspicax . In this paper, we follow Mikhailov (2013a) who reinstated Epeira folium .

The figures of Araneus cungei Bakhvalov, 1974 (cf. Bakhvalov 1974, 1981a) show a trapezoidal shape of the epigyne, which undoubtedly indicates its conspecificity with L. folium, and two names are synonymised here.