On four new species of the orb-weaver spider genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 (Araneae, Araneidae) from southern China Author Wu, Yibei College of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering and Planning, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren 554300, Guizhou, China Author Wang, Cheng College of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering and Planning, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren 554300, Guizhou, China Author Wu, Nanfei Central South Inventory and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Changsha, Hunan 410014, China Author Zhang, Mengfei Central South Inventory and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Changsha, Hunan 410014, China Author Mi, Xiaoqi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1744-3855 College of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering and Planning, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren 554300, Guizhou, China mixiaoqi1018@163.com text ZooKeys 2023 2023-05-09 1160 169 190 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1160.101594 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1160.101594 1313-2970-1160-169 25047ED149154DC4AF723FD0BA7CDB5D 3276E011253459658F9D1F6E809BF3C5 Genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 Araneus Clerck, 1757: 22. Type species. Araneus angulatus Clerck, 1757. Comments. Although the four new species are different from the generotype A. angulatus in thier smaller body size and having the abdomen lacking a pair of anterolateral humps, the epigynal base not elongated, and a shorter scape which does not extend far beyond the epigastric furrow, we provisionally place them in this genus because they share a very similar habitus and copulatory organs with other Araneus species. There is no doubt that their generic position needs confirmation, but it is not discussed here due to limited evidence.