Anelosimus Simon, 1891

Agnarsson, Ingi & Zhang, Jun-Xia, 2006, New species of Anelosimus (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Africa and Southeast Asia, with notes on sociality and color polymorphism, Zootaxa 1147, pp. 1-34 : 8

Anelosimus Simon, 1891

Anelosimus Simon 1891 , 60: 11. Type species: Anelosimus socialis Simon, 1891 (= Theridium eximium Keyserling, 1884 ).

Detailed diagnosis and circumscription of the genus Anelosimus including a list of generic synapomorphies can be found in Agnarsson (2006). Textual descriptions of species in the present paper are brief as they do not include general Anelosimus characteristics that are invariable. However, some figures are included to demonstrate general Anelosimus features such as the type and arrangements of spigots on the spinnerets ( Figs 9G , 13D , 16G ), shape and hirsuteness of carapace and sternum ( Figs 9C , 13C , 17A–C ), reduced stridulatory pick row in females ( Figs 7D , 9D , 16D ), irregular male stridulatory ridges on prosoma ( Fig. 7E ), opisthosoma texture and hirsuteness ( Fig. 17F ) and type of tarsal claws ( Figs 13G , 17D )

Unusual aspects of some species here described include the egg sacs of Anelosimus kohi and A. agnar which are brightly white ( Figs 2E , 3E–H , 5A–B ), unlike the dull grey egg sacs known in the American species, and species from Madagascar (Agnarsson 2005, 2006; Agnarsson & Kuntner 2005). All the species here described have a robust male femur I compared to other femora ( Figs 3C–D , 7G , 9F ), as in most of the species in the ethicus group (Agnarsson 2005) but only in some of the eximius lineage ( Agnarsson 2006).

Figures

FIGURES 9 A – G. Anelosimus dude n. sp. A, epigynum, ventral; B, epiandrous gland fusules; C, female prosoma, dorsal; D, female stridulatory pick row; E, male left stridulatory pick row; F, male first leg; G, female left spinning field (ALS anterior lateral spinneret, PLS posterior lateral spinneret, PMS posterior median spinneret). Scale bars: C – D, F, 100 m; A, 50 m; B, 50 m; G, 20 m; E, 10 m.

FIGURES 13 A – G. Anelosimus kohi Yoshida, 1993. A, epigynum, ventral; B, epiandrous gland fusules; C, female prosoma, dorsal; D, female posterior lateral and posterior median spinnerets, left side (AC aciniform spigots, AG aggregate spigots, CY cylindrical spigots, FL flagelliform spigots; mAP minor ampullate spigots); E, female anterior lateral spinnerets and colular area (arrow), uniquely in A. kohi no colular setae are present. F, male stridulatory pick row; G, female pedipalpal claw, lateral. Scale bars: C, E, 100 m; A – B, 50 m; D, F – G, 10 m.

FIGURES 16 A – G. Anelosimus nelsoni n. sp. A, epigynum, ventral; B, same, caudal; C, epiandrous gland fusules; D, female stridulatory pick row; E, male opisthosoma, pedicel area, ventral; F, male stridulatory pick row, left side; G, female left spinning field (ALS anterior lateral spinneret, PLS posterior lateral spinneret, PMS posterior median spinneret). Scale bars: A – B, D – E, G, 100 m; C, F, 10 m.

FIGURES 17 A – F. Anelosimus nelsoni n. sp. A, female prosoma, dorsal; B, same, lateral; C, male sternum, ventral; D, male tarsus I tip, lateral; E, female pedipalpal tibia, dorsal, with four trichobothria (the other pedipalpal tibia of the same animal had only three); F, female opisthosoma surface, near center laterally. Scale bars: A – C, F, 100 m; E, 50 m; D, 10 m.

FIGURES 7 A – G. Anelosimus biglebowski n. sp. A, epigynum, ventral; B, epiandrous gland spigots, ventral; C, male opisthosoma, stridulatory picks; D, female opisthosoma, left stridulatory pick row, ventral; E, male prosomal stridulatory ridges, dorsal; F, colular setae (arrow); G, male femur I. Scale bars A – B, D, 20 m; C, G 100 m; D – E, 10 m.

FIGURES 2 A – E. Photographs of webs of A. kohi. A – C, colonies of different sizes; A, web containing female with large juveniles; B, female with small juveniles; C, female with egg sac. D – E, female guarding egg sac. The leaves are taken from a small web the female typically attaches two leafs (D) to form a retreat, one or both leafs may also be folded (E). Inside the retreat the spider guards the egg sac surrounded by a thin silk envelope (E).

FIGURES 3 A – I. A nelosimus kohi, color polymorphism. A, female, dark morph from Singapore; B, female, dark morph from Malaysia; C, male, dark morph from Singapore; D, male light morph from Malaysia; E – G, female with egg sac, light morph from Malaysia, note how egg sac is clasped with the cheliceral fangs and palpal claws; H, female with egg sac, light morph from Singapore; I, female unusual pale morph from Singapore.

FIGURES 5 A – F. A – C, Anelosimus biglebowski n. sp. A, male pedipalpus, ventral (C conductor, E embolus, MA median apophysis, ST subtegulum, T tegulum, TTA theridiid tegular apophysis); B, epigynum ventral, C, epigynum cleared, dorsal (CD copulatory duct, FD fertilization duct, S spermathecae). D – F, A. dude n. sp. D, male pedipalpus, ventral; E, epigynum ventral, F, epigynum cleared, dorsal. Scale bars (upper for pedipalpi, lower for epigyna): 100 m.