New data on Wangaraneus Mi, Wang & Li, 2024 (Araneae, Araneidae), with descriptions of two new species from Xizang, China

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  New data on Wangaraneus Mi, Wang & Li, 2024 (Araneae, Araneidae), with descriptions of two new species from Xizang, China Abstract New data on Wangaraneus Mi, Wang & Li, 2024 are provided based on morphological examination and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) sequencing. Two new species from Xizang, China, W. delicatus Mi & Wang, sp. nov . and Wangaraneus fencha Mi & Wang, sp. nov ., are described and illustrated based on both sexes. In addition, two new combinations are proposed and established: W. cruciformis (Yin, Peng & Wang, 1994), comb. nov ., transferred from Singa C.L. Koch, 1836, and W. quadrituberculatus (Roy, Sen, Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2014), comb. nov ., transferred from Chorizopes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871. Wangaraneus zioni (Mi, Li & Pham, 2023), syn. nov . is synonymized with W. cruciformis . The newly described species are diagnosed based on detailed comparisons of somatic morphology and copulatory org...

Abdominal pattern polymorphism and distribution of the giant golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Araneae: Araneidae), in the Philippines

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Abdominal pattern polymorphism and distribution of the giant golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Araneae: Araneidae), in the Philippines

Abstract 
The giant golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793), is notable for its color polymorphism. Here, we report the pattern polymorphism of this species. A Nephila species with unusual abdominal patterning from the Philippines is confirmed herein as N. pilipes based on its somatic structures and genitalia. The abdominal pattern consists of rows of subquadrate yellow spots on the dorsum, which is distinct from the typical longitudinal yellow stripes in N. pilipes. We provided the distribution of the spotted variant based on citizen science data on the internet, suggesting that this particular variation may be regionally endemic in the Philippines. Keywords: aposematism, arachnids, citizen science, intraspecific variation, Nephilinae. 


Acuña, Darrell & Maglangit, Erl Pfian & Santiago, Myla & Guevarra Jr, Leonardo. (2025). Abdominal pattern polymorphism and distribution of the giant golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Araneae: Araneidae), in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology. 18. AZ-BB. 10.26757/pjsb202418006.