Spider fauna of Quebec 



JESO Volume 139, 2008 



Family Araneidae 

 Araneus guttulatus (Walckenaer, 1841) 



(Figs. 1-5) 



Material Examined. Canada: Quebec: Pare National de la Yamaska [45.42°N, 72.39°W] 

 12 12. ix. 2006. Berlese extraction of litter, deciduous forest in regeneration, A. Mochon 

 (CPAD); 1 2 18.-25.vii.2006, water pan, mixed forest, A. Mochon (CPAD); Pare National 

 d'Oka [45.49°N, 74.01°W] 12 10.viii.05, beating, sugar maple maple {Acer saccharum 

 Marsh.) canopy, M. Larrivee (CNC); Pare National du Mont-Saint-Bruno [45.55°N, 

 73.32°W] 1 S 29.vi.2006, 1 ? 07.vi.2006, beating, sugar maple canopy, M. Larrivee (CNC); 

 1 2 24.viii.2006, beating, American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) canopy, M. Larrivee 

 (CNC); \$ 29. vi. 2006, beating, sugar maple understory, M. Larrivee (CNC). 



Diagnosis. Araneus guttulatus bears resemblance to Araneus juniperi (Emerton, 1884) and 

 Araneus cingulatus (Walckenaer, 1841). Both males and females are distinguished by their 

 abdominal pattern and central black mark (Figs. 1,3). Males are characterized by their stout, 

 distally hooked embolus (E) (Fig. 2). Females are differentiated by the large copulatory 

 openings (CO) of the epigynum (Fig. 4) and close together and ovoid spermathecae (S) 

 (Fig. 5). 



Distribution. U.S.A.: southern Georgia to Arkansas, Maine to Wisconsin (Dondale et al. 

 2003). Canada: Quebec and Ontario. 



Remarks. The abdominal pattern of A. guttulatus (Figs. 1, 3) is quite different from A. 

 juniperi which is bright green with pale longitudinal bands (see Paquin and Duperre 2003. 

 Fig. 276). However, coloration tends to fade rapidly with preserved specimens; color 

 characters may guide identification of fresh specimens, but are not reliable for older ones. 



Eustala cepina (Walckenaer, 1841) 



(Figs. 6-8) 



Material Examined. Canada: Quebec: Pare National de la Yamaska [45.42°N, 72.39°W] 

 \S 20.-27. vii. 2006, water pan, deciduous forest in regeneration, A. Mochon (CPAD); lc? 

 12 04.vii.2000, beating, C. Chantal (CPAD); Lajemmerais, Varennes [45.68°N, 73.43°W] 

 1 $ 23.vii.2000, beating, C. Chantal (CPAD); Pontiac, Les Collines-de-rOutaouais, Quyon 

 [45.5 1°N, 76.23°W] 1 £ 24.vii.1992, sand pit, sweeping, L. LeSage (CPAD); Gatineau Park, 

 near Eardley [45.51°N, 76.23°W] \$ 14.vi.2001, deciduous woods, D.J. Buckle (CPAD). 



Diagnosis. Eustala cepina most resembles Eustala anastera (Walckenaer, 1841) (see 

 Dondale et al. 2003, Figs. 600-611; Paquin and Duperre 2003, Figs. 309-310). but E. 

 cepina is somewhat smaller in size. Males can be distinguished by their shorter terminal 

 apophysis (TA) not extending beyond the subterminal apophysis (SubTA) (Fig. 6). Females 

 can be differentiated by the smaller spermathecae (S) and slender, sinuous copulatory ducts 

 (CD) not folded on themselves (Fig. 8). 



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