Figs 4, 8 D, 9 D, 10 D, 23, 24, 25 D, 29
Araneus patagiatus Clerck 1757: 38, pl. 1, fig. 10 (D♀). Araneus ocellatus Clerck 1757: 36, pl. 1, fig. 9 (D♀). Aranea dumetorum Fourcroy 1785: 534 (D).
Aranea lacera Olivier 1789: 201 (D♀).
Aranea picta Razoumowsky 1789: 242 (D♀).
Aranea nigro-fasciata Razoumowsky 1789: 247 (D♀). Aranea apoclysa Walckenaer 1802: 195 (in part, var. 3). Epeira nauseosa C.L. Koch 1834: 123, pl. 20 (D♀). Epeira munda C.L. Koch 1836: 134, pl. 4 (D♀).
Epeira patagiata: C. L. Koch 1844: 115, figs 916–919 (♀, D♂) Epeira formosa Keyserling 1865: 828, pl. 19, figs 17–18 (D♀). Epeira silvicultrix Ohlert 1867: 25 (D♂♀).
Epeira gracilis Menge 1878: 558, pl. 91 fig. 320 B (D♂). Syn. n. Epeira hilaris O. Pickard-Cambridge 1881: 113 (D♀). Epeira ithaca McCook 1893: 152, pl. 4, fig. 3 (D♂♀).
Araneus potanini Simon 1895: 336 (D♀).
Aranea dumetorum islandicola Strand 1906: 282 (D♀). Syn. n.
Nuctenea patagiata: Levi 1974: 309, figs. 77 –84, 96, 100–102, 107, 112 – 113, 120–123, 127 (♂♀). Larinioides patagiatus: Dondale et al. 2003: 186, figs. 402–408 (♂♀); Tanikawa 2007: 56, figs. 89, 490 – 492 (♂♀).
For a complete list of references, see Platnick (2014).
Misidentifications:
Epeira apoclisa described by Dufour (1831) is a junior synonym of L. sericatus, not of L. patagiatus.
Material examined (selected localities): CZECH REPUBLIC: 1 ♀ (10 August 2009): Lednice, camp, on the wall, 48 ° 48 ’N 16 ° 48 ’E, 161 m, J. Dolanský (AS); 1 ♀ (17 August 2006): Pardubice, castle, on a tree, 50 ° 3 ’N 15 ° 46 ‘E, 227 m, J. Dolanský (AS). SLOVAKIA: 1 ♂ (14 October 2008): Bratislava, Devínska Nová Ves, meadow near river Morava, 48 ° 13 ’N 16 ° 58 ’E, 138 m, A. Šestáková (AS); 1 ♀ (6 May 2011): Veľký Lél, riparian forest, 47 ° 45 ’N 17 ° 57 ’E, 109 m, A. Šestáková (AS); 1 ♂ (12 October 2010): Holiša, 48 ° 19 ’N 19 ° 45 ’E, 181 m, Ľ. Černecká (LC); 2 ♀♀ (25 May 2008): Žiar nad Hronom, on the fence near river Hron, 48 ° 35 ’N 18 ° 52 ’E, 246 m, A. Šestáková (AS). FINLAND: 1 ♀ (6 July 1967): Eckerö, Torp, Skeppsorto kampunt, pausant, P. Hakkila (ZMUT); 1 ♀ (14 July 1961): Kuusamo, Juuma, Jyrävänköngäs, P. Lehtinen (ZMUT). RUSSIA: Krasnoyarsk Province: 1 ♀ (June 1979): Essei Lake, O. Chernikov (IBPN). Yakutia: 1 ♀ (8 June 1927): Vitim Town on Lena River, A.M. Popov (ZISP); 1 ♀ (Summer 1985): Kolyma River near Cherski Village, E.R. Potapov (IBPN); 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ (2–3 August 1926): Vilyuisk District, 75 ° 17 ’N 119 ° 10 ’E, A. Grigor’ev (ZISP); 1 ♀ (13–15 August 1925): 10–16 km from Amga, L. Bianki (ZISP); 1 ♀ (1903): Verkhoyansk, K. Rozhnovski (ZISP). Magadan Province: 13 ♂♂ (30 July— 3 August 1985): Taigonos Peninsula, Paren’ Lake, A. Meshcheryakov coll. (IBPN); 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ (17 July 1987): Talon Village, G.A.Anufriev (IBPN); 45 ♂ 53 ♀ (1983–1986): Kolyma River upper flow (ca. 62 °N), environs of Sibit-Tyellakh Village, “Aborigen” Field Station, Y.M. Marusik (IBPN). Chukotka: 1 ♀ (1–15 August 1987): Anadyr District, Khatyrka River upper flow, Elgygytgyn Lake, I.A. Chereshnev (IBPN). MONGOLIA: 1 ♂ 16 ♀♀ (1949): from Ulan-Bator to Kobdo, East Mongolian Paleontological Expedition (ZISP).
Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished from its congeners by a large, pear-shaped scapus of the epigyne (Fig. 29) and large, wide, spoon-shaped arms of the median apophysis (Fig. 10 D). Embolic division resembles that in L. sericatus, but L. patagiatus has a strongly toothed subterminal apophysis 2 (Figs 23, 24).
Description. Carapace, chelicerae and sternum uniformly brown. Abdomen dorsally with brown folium and yellowish cross; males have two white horizontal lines separating red-brown anterior part of the folium from its dark-brown posterior part (Figs 4 A, C). Legs yellow, darkly annulated.
Male. Total length 5.8–8.4. Carapace 2.9 –4.0 long, 2.3–3.5 wide. Length of the first patella + tibia 4.5 –8.0. Tibia II not modified (Fig. 8 D). Palp as in Figs 9 D, 10 D, 23, 24, 25 D; bulbus with wide, rounded terminal apophysis; subterminal apophysis 1 pointed; subterminal apophysis 2 strongly toothed; embolus simple, without flat shield; median apophysis massive with deep bifurcation; conductor elongated.
Female. Total length 7.5–10.3. Carapace 2.5 –4.0 long, 2.9–3.5 wide. Length of the first patella + tibia 3.9–5.2. Epigyne strongly sclerotised with massive pear-shaped scapus. The scapus was found broken in many females. Lateral lamellae formed frilled hem of the median plate. Copulatory openings near base of scapus (Fig. 29).
Distribution. L. patagiatus has a circum-Holarctic distribution.
Comments. Epeira gracilis Menge, 1878, collected from northern Poland (Heubude, Gdansk) on a coniferous tree, is obviously a junior synonym of L. patagiatus. This synonymy was discussed earlier by Prószyński & Staręga (1971). Figures of the male palp (Menge 1879, pl. 91, fig. 320 B) show a huge median apophysis and a toothed subterminal apophysis 2, which are typical of L. patagiatus.
Larinioides patagiatus islandicola (Strand, 1906) described from Iceland and known so far only from the original reference undoubtedly is a synonym of L. patagiatus, a species known from the island and properly reported by Agnarsson (1996). The species also occurs in the neighbouring Greenland (Marusik et al. 2006). There are no endemic species of spiders in Iceland (cf. Agnarsson 1996), and two subspecies cannot be sympatric by definition. The type was presumably preserved in the Museum für Natur und Umwelt (Lübeck, Germany), but the original museum building was destroyed in World War 2 and the type was most probably lost or destroyed with the rest of the former collection (S. Füting, pers. comm.).