Uroctea Dufour, 1820

Yang, Zi-Zhong, Yang, Zhi-Bin, Zhao, Yu & Zhang, Zhi-Sheng, 2019, Review of the tent-web spider genus Uroctea Dufour, 1820 in China, with descriptions of two new species (Araneae: Oecobiidae), Zootaxa 4679 (1), pp. 126-138 : 127

Genus Uroctea Dufour, 1820

Uroctea Dufour, 1820: 198 ; Song, Zhu & Chen 2001: 82; Zhu & Zhang 2011: 55; Le Peru 2011: 323.

Type species. Clotho durandii Latreille, 1809

Diagnosis. As the single genus of Urocteinae, Uroctea share almost the same body shape as other oecobiids but differ from Oecobiinae genera ( Oecobius Lucas, 1846 , Paroecobius Lamoral, 1981 and Platoecobius Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 ) by the larger body size (>5) and absence of cribellum ( Le Peru 2011; Lamoral 1981; Shear 1970); and from Uroecobius and possibly Urocteana by their larger size ( Kullmann & Zimmermann 1976).

Description. Total length of females (about 7–15), often bigger than that of males (about 5–8). Eight eyes in two rows, homogeneous, almost round. Anterior eye row slightly procurved and posterior eye row strongly procurved. Chelicerae short and less-sclerotized, without teeth. Cribellum and calamistrum absent. Posterior lateral spinnerets long, two-segmented ( Figs 1 A–B, 3A–B, 5A, 6A–B).

Male palps ( Figs 1 C–E, 2A, 3C–E, 4A, 5B–E, 6C–E, 7A) without patellar apophysis. Tibia with almost the same length as width, antero-lateral margin wide and protruding slightly forward (probably homologous with RTA of Coelotinae etc., Zhu et al. 2017). Cymbium unmodified and spineless, with lots of long setae. Genital bulb balllike, with “apophyses” located centro-ventrally. Embolus, conductor and median apophysis arising from tegulum. Embolus originates proximally, with distinct sperm duct basally. Conductor sheet-like, transparent or not, curved, with a groove or not, surrounding or nearly surrounding the distal part of embolus. Median apophysis arising very close to the base of conductor and divided into at least two branches.

Epigynes ( Figs 1 F–G, 2B–C, 3F–G, 4B–C, 6F–G, 7B–C) more or less sclerotized posteriorly, their posterior margins with a very narrow or wide notch centrally. Copulatory openings hole-like, widely separated or near each other. Copulatory ducts tube-like, with a pair of transparent bursae anteriorly. Spermathecae small, almost ball-like. Fertilization ducts very long and thin, posteriorly located.

Distribution. Africa ( Senegal, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, etc.) and Asia ( Yemen, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Japan, etc.), except the type species, U. durandi ( Latreille, 1809) , from the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and Western Asia ( Andorra, Bulgaria, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey, etc.) ( World Spider Catalog 2019).

Remarks. Species of Uroctea can be differentiated from each other by the pattern of markings on the dorsum of the opisthosoma and structures of the external genitalia, especially the median apophysis of the male palp and the position and shape of the copulatory openings of the epigynes.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Uroctea compactilis L. Koch, 1878, A. Male habitus, dorsal view; B. Female habitus, dorsal view; C. Left male palp, prolateral view; D. Same, ventral view; E. Same, retrolateral view (the red arrow indicates the retrolateral projection of tibia); F. Epigyne, ventral view; G. Same, dorsal view.