Total of four species of the genus Agroeca have been reported from Korea (Yoo et al., 2015); A. bonghwaensis, A. coreana, A. mongolica, and A. montana. Agroeca bonghwaensis was described by Seo (2011) based on the single female collected in 2010 from Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. During a survey of the rice field spider fauna, a number of A. bonghwaensis was collected by pitfall traps trapped around the levee in rice ecosystem from many provinces. Among them, three males were collected in Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do. In this paper, the male of A. bonghwaensis, Korean endemic species, of Liocranidae firstly described with measurements and morphological illustrations from Korea.

Material and Methods

The external morphology was examined using a stereoscopic dissecting microscope (LEICA, S8APO) and illustrated. Photographs of body were taken with a CANON 650D with 60 mm macro-lens. Measurements of each part of the body were taken with an ocular micrometer scale and are recorded in millimeters. Leg and palp (left) measurements are given as “leg number, total length (femur, patella+tibia, metatarsus, tarsus)”. Leg spiniformation was countered with left side. Abbreviations used are as follows: AER = anterior eye row and PER = posterior eye row in eye region; d = dorsal surface, v = ventral surface, p = prolateral surface, and r = retrolateral surface in leg spiniformation. The examined specimens of this study was deposited in the collection of Life and Environment Research Institute in Konkuk University, Korea.

Taxonomic accounts

Order Araneae Clerck, 1757

Family Agelenidae Koch, 1837

Genus Agroeca Westring, 1861

AgroecabonghwaensisSeo, 2011 봉화밭고랑거미 (Fig. 1)

Agroeca bonghwaensis Seo, 2011: 99, f. 1-4.

Description. Measurements (male): Body length 4.11 (habitus). Carapace 2.23 long, 1.86 wide. AER 1.49, PER 1.60. Chelicera 0.72 long, 0.32 wide. Endite 0.60 long, 0.38 wide. Labium 0.20 long, 0.26 wide. Sternum 1.17 long, 1.08 wide. Legs: I, 6.64 (1.92, 2.40, 1.29, 1.03); II, 6.14 (1.65, 2.21, 1.28, 1.00); III, 5.79 (1.70, 1.75, 1.44, 0.90); IV, 8.20 (2.20, 2.65, 2.24, 1.11). Palp 2.32 (0.75, 0.73, - , 0.84). Abdomen 1.95 long, 1.41 wide.

Male. Carapace: ovoid, convex, turbid and pale blackish brown, longer than wide; head region narrow, a pair of longitudinal reticulated patterns stretched from posterior lateral eyes; median part and both margins of thoracic region darker, a pair of broad light and pale longitudinal band stretched, rimmed; cervical furrow indistinct, radial furrow blackish brown and distinct, longitudinal fovea reddish brown, needle-shaped (Fig. 1B). Eye: eye area infuscate, all eyes encircled with black; AER slightly recurved, PER slightly procurved or almost straight (Fig. 1C). Chelicera: normal, yellowish brown; three promarginal teeth and 2 retromarginal teeth; covered densely with blackish brown setae (Fig. 1D). Endite: almost rectangular, pale yellowish brown with light yellowish white anterior part bearing brown scopula. Labium: almost quadrangle, turbid yellowish brown; covered sparsely with long blackish brown setae (Fig. 1E). Sternum: heartshaped, pale yellowish brown with darker and rimmed margin; three pairs of faint blackish brown markings on both sides; covered densely with long and short blackish brown hairs; not protruded between fourth coxae (Fig. 1F). Legs: slightly weak, pale and mottled yellowish brown; no annuli; leg formula 4-1-2-3. Leg spiniformation: I (femur 1-1-1d, 1p; tibia 2-2v; metatarsus 2-2-2v); II (femur 1-1-1d, 1p; tibia 1-2v; metatarsus 2-2-2v); III (femur 1-1-1d, 1-1p, 1r; patella 1d, 1r; tibia 1-1d, 1-1p, 1-1r, 1-2-2v; metatarsus 1-1-1p, 1-1-1r, 2-2-2v); IV (femur 1-1-1d, 1p, 1r; patella 1d, 1-1r; tibia 1-1d, 1-1p, 1-1r, 1-2v; metatarsus 1-2-2d, 1-1-1p, 1-1-1r, 1-1-2v). Abdomen: ovoid, pale blackish brown with dappled patterns, longer than wide; clothed densely with brown hairs; shoulder with long brown setae (Fig. 1B). Male palp (Figs. 1H-J): patellar apophysis absent; retrolateral tibial apophysis bird-shaped with blunt tip; tegular apophysis thick and large, highly sclerotized; median apophysis basally broad with broad hook-shaped tip; embolus long and slender, curved inside the cymbium; conductor membranous.

Female. Body length 5.12-5.41 (habitus). Similar to male; larger body with lighter body color (Fig. 1A); epigyne simple, copulatory ducts and part of sermathecae visible through integument (Fig. 1G). See Seo (2011) for detail description of female.

Materials exmined. 1♀, Gueup-ri, Gunnae-myeon, Pocheongun, 12 June 1983 (M.S., Im), 1♀, Mt. Samgaksan, Gugi-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 15 November 1997 (S.T., Kim), 1♀, Gagok-ri, Songsan-myeon, Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 15 July 2011 (S.T., Kim), 2♀♀ 3♂♂, Masan-ri, Weonbuk-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, 17 October 2014 (S.T., Kim and S.Y. Lee), 1♀, Chnagbuk-ri, Gyehwa-myeon, Buan-gun, 11 February 2015 (S.T., Kim and S.Y. Lee).

Diagnosis. The male of A. bonghwaensisSeo, 2011 is similar to A. brunnea (Blackwall, 1833) in palpal organ, but can be easily distinguished by bird-shaped retrolateral tibial apophysis with blunt tip and basally broad median apophysis with broad hook-shaped tip.

Ecological remarks. This species was collected by pitfall traps trapped around the levee in rice ecosystem.

Distribution. Korea.