Alistra opina explained

Alistra opina is a species of dwarf sheet spider of the genus Alistra.^[1] This species is endemic to New Zealand

Taxonomy

This species was first described from a single female by Ray Forster in 1970, originally named Tawerana opina.^[2] It was transferred into the Alistra genus in 1986.^[3] The holotype specimen was collected by Richard Dell and Beverley Holloway at Crooked Reach, Port Pegasus on Stewart Island, during the 1955 Dominion Museum expedition.^{[4] [5]}

The holotype is stored at Te Papa under the registration number AS.000078.^[6]

Description

The body is around 2.4mm long. The carapace, legs and chelicerae are yellow. The abdomen is cream coloured.

Distribution

This species is only recorded from Port Pegasus on Stewart Island in New Zealand.

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as Data Deficient with the qualifiers of "Data Poor: Size", "Data Poor: Trend" and "One Location".

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alistra opina (Forster, 1970). 2024-04-23 . biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz.
2. Web site: Alistra opina - World Spider Catalog . 2024-04-23 . wsc.nmbe.ch.
3. Brignoli . P.M. . Spiders from Melanesia III. A new Alistra (Araneae, Hahniidae) from the Solomon Islands . Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona . 11 . 327-332.
4. 164-165.
5. Web site: Tawerana opina Forster, 1970 . 2024-04-23 . collections.tepapa.govt.nz.
6. Web site: Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa . 2024-07-13 . collections.tepapa.govt.nz.