Rhomphaea urquharti explained

Rhomphaea urquharti is a species of cobweb spider that is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described as Ariamnes attenuatus in 1887 by Elizabeth Bryant from male and female specimens. It was most recently revised in 1933.^[2]

Description

The male is recorded at 2.8mm in length whereas the female is 5mm. The cephalothorax is brown. The abdomen is brown and mottled silver.

Distribution

This species is only known from 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".^[3]

Notes and References

1. Urquhart, A. T. (1887). On new species of Araneida. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 19: 72-118, pl. 7-8
2. Bryant, E. B. (1933). Notes on types of Urquhart's spiders. Records of the Canterbury Museum 4: 1-27, pl. 1-5
3. 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.