Waiporia mensa explained

Waiporia mensa is a species of Orsolobidae that is endemic to New Zealand.^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described as Ascuta mensa in 1956 by Ray Forster from male and female specimens collected in Nelson. In 1985, it was moved into the Waiporia genus.^[2] The holotype is stored in Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000068.^[3]

Description

The male is recorded at 2.21mm in length whereas the female is 2.27mm. This species has pale brown legs and a reddish brown carapace. The abdomen has a chevron pattern dorsally.

Distribution

This species is only known from Nelson, New Zealand.

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened".^[4]

Notes and References

1. Forster . R. R . 1956 . New Zealand spiders of the family Oonopidae . Records of the Canterbury Museum . 7 . 89–169.
2. 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.
3. Web site: Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa . 2024-08-17 . collections.tepapa.govt.nz.
4. 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.