Ming-Sheng Zhu’s research while affiliated with Hebei University and other places

A Chinese spider species, Pronoides ampliabdominis Song, Zhang & Zhu, 2006, is newly transferred to the genus Cnodalia Thorell, 1980. The male is described and illustrated here for the first time.

Four new troglophilous Pholcus spiders from Guizhou Province, China, are diagnosed, described and illustrated under the names: Pholcus anlong sp. nov., P. ceheng sp. nov., P. xingren sp. nov. and P.xingyi sp. nov. This is the first report on cave-dwelling Pholcus species from Guizhou Province, China.

Two new species of jumping spiders belonging to the genus Irura Peckham & Peckham, 1901 collected from Hainan Island, China, were diagnosed, described and illustrated under the names: Irura bidenticulata sp. nov. and I. pengi sp. nov.

The molecular phylogeny of the globally distributed golden orb spider genus Nephila (Nephilidae) was reconstructed to infer its speciation history, with a focus on SE Asian/W Pacific species. Five Asian, two Australian, four African, and one American species were included in the phylogenetic analyses. Other species in Nephilidae, Araneidae, and Tetragnathidae were included to assess their relationships with the genus Nephila, and one species from Uloboridae was used as the outgroup. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed from one nuclear (18S) and two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) markers. Our molecular phylogeny shows that the widely distributed Asian/Australian species, N. pilipes, and an African species, N. constricta, form a clade that is sister to all other Nephila species. Nested in this Nephila clade are one clade with tropical and subtropical/temperate Asian/Australian species, and the other containing African and American species. The estimated divergence times suggest that diversification events within Nephila occurred during mid-Miocene to Pliocene (16 Mya-2 Mya), and these time periods were characterized by cyclic global warming/cooling events. According to Dispersal and Vicariance Analysis (DIVA), the ancestral range of the Asian/Australian clade was tropical Asia, and the ancestral range of the genus Nephila was either tropical Asia or Africa. We conclude that the speciation of the Asian/Australian Nephila species was driven by Neogene global cyclic climate changes. However, further population level studies comparing diversification patterns of sister species are needed to determine the mode of speciation of these species.

The genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 is a small tropical genus and exhibits a wide geographical distribution from Southeast Asia to Africa. In this paper, the genus Eriovixia is revised in Hainan Island, China, and three new species, E. nigrimaculatasp. nov., E. huwenasp. nov. and E. jianfengensissp. nov., are described. Based on the type species description and three species figures, we think Tukaraneus Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 is a junior synonym of Eriovixia Archer, 1951. Accordingly, three species, Tukaraneus mahabaeus Barrion & Litsinger, 1995, Tukaraneus palawanensis Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 and Tukaraneus patulisus Barrion & Litsinger, 1995, are transferred from Tukaraneus to Eriovixia. E. excelsa (Simon, 1889), E. pseudocentrodes (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) and E. sakiedaorum Tanikawa, 1999 are recorded for the first time for Hainan Island's fauna. A key to the genus Eriovixia is presented excepting three species distributed in Africa. Biogeographic analyses show that Southeast Asia is a centre of distribution, diversification and speciation of the genus Eriovixia, and Hainan Island's fauna posesses high species richness and endemism.

The Asian orb weaver spider genus Pronoides Schenkel, 1936 (Araneidae) is reviewed. A new species, Pronoides sutaiensis n. sp., is described, and P. brunneus Schenkel, 1936, the type species, is redescribed and illustrated. In addition, Pronoides ampliabdominis Song, Zhang & Zhu, 2006 is transferred to Cnodalia Thorell, 1890 (new combination).

Two new species, Dichopelmus lotus n. sp. (Eriophyidae) and Trimeroptes kakius n. sp. (Diptilomiopidae) infesting persimmon, Diospyros kaki Linn. (Ebenaceae), are described and illustrated. We provide keys to the eriophyoid mites associated with Diospyros spp. in China, and to all species of Dichopelmus and Trimeroptes.

A new species, Mesobuthus bolensis from the Province of Xinjiang, in the Western region of China, is described. The new species can be defined by a densely granular carapace; carinae, granulation, and metasomal segment V without any dark pigmentation; carinae of carapace and pedipalp patella dispersively granular. Furthermore, restudy of the characters of Mesobuthus songi Lourenço, Qi & Zhu 2005, described from the southern region of Pulan, Xizang (Tibet), China led us to accommodate this species in the genus Hottentotta Birula, as a new combination Hottentotta songi (Lourenço, Qi & Zhu 2005).

The genus Eurocoelotes, established in 2002 with fourteen species from Europe, including two new species, E. halanensis sp. nov. (♀ only) from Mali Halan, Croatia and E. paramicrolepidus sp. nov. (♂ only) from Peloponnisos, Greece, is reviewed. Each species is described with a focus on the male palp and the female epigynum. A key to species is provided. Except for E. deltshevi (Dinitrov 1996) and E. drenskii (Deltshev 1990), specimens of which were not available, we have provided illustrations for the male palp and the female epigynum of all species. In general, the male Eurocoelotes has a short cymbial furrow, a broad conductor dorsal apophysis, a spoon-shaped median apophysis, and a prolaterally originating embolus, but lacks a patellar apophysis. The female Eurocoelotes usually has laterally arising epigynal teeth, a large, anteriorly situated atrium, large copulatory ducts, and short, slightly longitudinally extending spermathecae. Exceptions include: E. falciger (Kulczyński 1897), which has a long cymbial furrow and a proximally originating embolus, E. anoplus (Kulczyński 1897) and E. gasperinii (Simon 1891), which have proximally originating emboli, E. brevispinus (Deltshev & Dimitrov 1996), which has a distinct patellar apophysis, E. microlepidus (de Blauwe 1973) and E. paramicrolepidus, which have a tiny patellar apophysis, and E. xinpingwangi Deltshev 2009, which has no epigynal teeth.

A new species of the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 is described, based on specimens collected from Menglian County, Yunnan Province, China. It is characterized by the following characters: (1) pectinal teeth number 7–7 in females and 8–8 in males; (2) cheliceral movable finger with 6–7 basal teeth on ventral edge; (3) chela ratio of length to width over 3.5 in females and over 4.1 in males; (4) a slight lobe on movable finger and corresponding notch on fixed finger in both males and females, with no marked sexual dimorphism; (5) patella with 19 external trichobothria (6eb, 2esb, 2em, 4est, 5et), and with 10 ventral trichobothria. With the species described in the present publication, the number of known species of Euscorpiops is raised to 17.