Acroaspis decorosa explained

Acroaspis decorosa is a species of orbweaver spider that is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

Acroaspis decorsa was first described in 1894 as Epeira decorosa by Arthur Urquhart.^[2] This species was later moved to the Eriophora genus by Ray Forster in 1988. The species was moved again in 2010 to the Acroaspis genus.^[3] The holotype is stored in Canterbury Museum.

Description

The male is recorded at 5mm in length whereas the female is 8.5mm.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier of "Secure Overseas".^[4]

Notes and References

1. Court, D. J. & Forster, R. R. (1988). The spiders of New Zealand: Part VI. Family Araneidae. Otago Museum Bulletin 6: 68-124.
2. Urquhart, A. T. (1894). Description of new species of Araneae. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 26: 204-218.
3. Framenau, V. W., Dupérré, N., Blackledge, T. A. & Vink, C. (2010). Systematics of the new Australasian orb-weaving spider genus Backobourkia (Araneae: Araneidae: Araneinae). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 68: 79-111.
4. Sirvid . P. J. . Vink . C. J. . Fitzgerald . B. M. . Wakelin . M. D. . Rolfe . J. . Michel . P. . 2020-01-01 . Conservation status of New Zealand Araneae (spiders), 2020 . New Zealand Threat Classification Series . English . 34 . 1–37.