Spiders from Laos with forty-three new records and first results from the provinces Bolikhamsay and Champasak (Arachnida: Araneae)

Results from two recent expeditions to Laos in 2009 and 2010 are provided. The provinces Bolikhamsay and Champasak were investigated in terms of their spider fauna for the first time. The female of Mesida yini Zhu, Song & Zhang 2003 is described for the first time, the internal duct system of Argiope dang Jager & Praxaysombath 2009 is illustrated for the first time, as is the variation of its epigyne. The following 43 species are recorded for the first time for Laos: Selenocosmia jiafu Zhu & Zhang 2008, Oecobius concinnus Simon 1893, Argyrodes fissifrons O. Pickard-Cambridge 1869, Argyrodes flavescens O. Pickard-Cambridge 1880, Ariamnes cylindrogaster Simon 1889, Chrysso pulcherrima (Mello-Leitaao 1917), Coleosoma blandum O. Pickard-Cambridge 1882, Coleosoma floridanum Banks 1900, Dipoena hainanensis Zhu 1998, Dipoena turriceps (Schenkel 1936), Dipoenura cyclosoides (Simon 1895), Faiditus xiphias ( Thorell 1887), Meotipa picturata Simon 1895, Molione triacantha Thorell 1892, Moneta mirabilis (Bosenberg & Strand 1906), Parasteatoda celsabdomina (Zhu 1998), Parasteatoda daliensis (Zhu 1998), Parasteatoda japonica (Bosenberg & Strand 1906), Parasteatoda oculiprominens (Saito 1939), Rhomphaea labiata (Zhu & Song 1991), Stemmops forcipus Zhu 1998, Stemmops nigrabdomenus Zhu 1998, Patu shiluensis Lin & Li 2009 (new family record for Laos), Guizygiella melanocrania (Thorell 1887), Leucauge celebesiana (Walckenaer 1842), Leucauge decorata (Blackwall 1864), Leucauge xiuying Zhu, Song & Zhang 2003, Leucauge zizhong Zhu, Song & Zhang 2003, Mesida yini Zhu, Song & Zhang 2003, Opadometa grata (Guerin 1838), Tetragnatha praedonia L. Koch 1878, Tylorida tianlin Zhu, Song & Zhang 2003, Nephila clavata L. Koch 1878, Argiope aemula (Walckenaer 1842), Argiope catenulata (Doleschall 1859), Cyrtophora beccarii (Thorell 1878), Hippasa lycosina Pocock 1900, Hygropoda yunnan Zhang, Zhu & Song 2004, Hahnia flagellifera Zhu, Shen & Sha 1989 (new family record for Laos), Carrhotus viduus (C. L. Koch 1846), Harmochirus zabkai Logunov 2001, Phintella assamica Proszynski 1992, and Siler semiglaucus (Simon 1901). Altogether 150 species are now known from Laos. reThe distribution range of Nephila pilipes (Fabricius 1793) is larger than indicated in the World Spider Catalog. It seems to be the most abundant species of this genus in Southeast Asia. Parasteatoda celsabdomina and Eurychoera banna are recorded for the first time from Thailand, Hygropoda yunnan for the first time from Trat Province in Thailand.