Stanwellia kaituna explained

Stanwellia kaituna is a species of Mygalomorph spider endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described as Aparua kaituna in 1968 by Ray Forster from male and female specimens collected in Canterbury. It was transferred into the Stanwellia genus in 1983.^[2] The holotype is stored at Canterbury Museum.

Description

The male is recorded at 6.2mm in length. The carapace and legs are pale yellow brown. The abdomen is cream with black patches dorsally. The female is recorded at 12.3mm in length. The carapace and legs are orange brown. The abdomen is cream with a dark band dorsally.

Distribution

This species is only known from Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Naturally Uncommon" with the qualifiers of "One Location".^[3]

Notes and References

1. Forster . Raymond Robert . Wilton . Cecil Louis . 1968-01-01 . The Spiders of New Zealand Part II: Ctenizidae, Dipluridae & Migidae . Otago Museum bulletin . 2 . 1–166.
2. Main . Barbara York . 1983 . Further studies on the systematics of Australian Diplurinae (Chelicerata: Mygalomorphae: Dipluridae): Two new genera from south western Australia . Journal of Natural History . en . 17 . 6 . 923–949 . 10.1080/00222938300770731 . 0022-2933.
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.