Ascuta montana explained

Ascuta montana is a species of Orsolobidae. The species is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1985 by Ray Forster and Norman Platnick from a single male specimen collected on Mount Robert. The holotype is stored in Otago Museum.

Description

The male is recorded at 2.48mm in length. The carapace has patterning around the eyes. The abdomen has extensive patterns dorsally.

Distribution and habitat

This species is only known from Mount Robert, New Zealand. It is known to occur in Nothofagus menziesii.

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".^[2]

Notes and References

1. Forster . R.R . Platnick . N.L . 1985 . A review of the austral spider family Orsolobidae (Arachnida, Araneae), with notes on the superfamily Dysderoidea . Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History . 181 . 1-230.
2. 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.