Ascuta tongariro explained

Ascuta tongariro is a species of Orsolobidae that is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1985 by Ray Forster and Norman Platnick from female specimens collected on Mount Tongariro. The holotype is stored in Otago Museum.

Description

The female is recorded at 3.56mm in length. The carapace and abdomen are patterned dorsally.

Distribution

This species is only known from the Central Plateau 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" and "Data Poor: Trend".^[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.