Novaranea queribunda (Keyserling, 1887) Keyserling, 1887

Framenau, Volker W., Scharff, Nikolaj & Levi, Herbert W., 2009, Not from “ Down Under ”: new synonymies and combinations for orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) erroneously reported from Australia, Zootaxa 2073, pp. 22-30 : 28

Novaranea queribunda (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov.

Fig. 5

Epeira queribunda Keyserling, 1887: 195 –197, pl. 17, figs 4, 4a, b, 5. 5a, b. Epeira quaesita Keyserling, 1887: 197 –198, pl. 17, figs 6, 6a. New synonymy. Epeira laevigata Urquhart, 1891: 171 –172, pl. 21, fig. 6; Urquhart 1892: 227. New synonymy. Araneus quaesitus (Keyserling) . Rainbow 1911: 191; Bonnet 1955: 580. Araneus queribundus (Keyserling) . Rainbow 1911: 191; Bonnet 1955: 580. Aranea laevigata (Urquhart) . Roewer 1942: 829.

Aranea queribunda (Keyserling) . Roewer 1942: 832.

Aranea quaesita (Keyserling) . Roewer 1942: 832.

Araneus laevigatus (Urquhart) . Bonnet 1955: 526.

Novaranea laevigata (Urquhart) . Court & Forster 1988: 114 –115, figs 361, 539–552.

Types. Lectotype (here designated) of Epeira queribunda Keyserling, 1887 : male, New Zealand [no exact locality] (BMNH 1890.7.1.4134) (examined).

Paralectotype of Epeira queribunda Keyserling, 1887 : female, same data as lectotype (BMNH 1890.7.1.4135) (misidentification; this specimen is Colaranea verutum (Urquhart, 1887) (examined).

Holotype of Epeira quaesita Keyserling, 1887 : female, New Zealand [no exact locality], Bradley Collection ( BMNH 1890.7.1.4163) (examined).

Holotype of Epeira laevigata Urquhart, 1891 : female, forest near Stratford [39º20’S, 174º17’E, New Zealand], A.T. Urquhart (lost; Court & Forster 1988) (not examined).

Remarks. In his original description, Keyserling (1887) did not mention a type locality for Araneus queribundus but Rainbow (1911, p. 191) listed “Hab.– Australia ” for this species. This was later perpetuated as distribution by Roewer (1942) and Bonnet (1955). Our examination of the syntype male and female in the BMNH revealed that the specimens are clearly labeled “ New Zealand ” which was omitted in Keyserling’s (1887) description. Comparison with New Zealand Araneidae illustrated by Court and Forster (1988) showed that both male and female syntype of Epeira queribunda represent two different species. To provide nomenclatural stability for the species concept of E. queribunda , the male is here designated as lectotype. The male pedipalp morphology, in particular the shape of the terminal apophysis of this species, is unique within the New Zealand Araneidae and clearly the same as that of Novaranea laevigata ( Urquhart, 1891) , the type species of the monotypic genus Novaranea Court & Forster, 1988 ( Fig. 5 ; see also Court & Forster 1988, figs 546–547). Therefore Araneus queribundus is here transferred to Novaranea and considered a senior synonym of Novaranea laevigata : Novaranea queribunda (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov. The female syntype (paralectotype) of Epeira queribunda is Colaranea verutum (Urquhart, 1887) .

Examination of the holotype of Epeira quaesita revealed through the original label, that this specimen was also collected in New Zealand, and not in Australia as originally stated by Keyserling (1887, p. 198: “ Australien, Sammlung Bradley”). The morphology of the epigyne clearly conforms to that of Novaranea queribunda comb. nov. as illustrated in Court & Forster (1988, sub N. laevigata ; see above) who also state (pg. 115): “The loss of the type [of Epeira laevigata ] is fortunately of little importance because Urquhart illustrated the epigynum and this cannot be confused with any other New Zealand species.” Consequently, Araneus quaesitus is here considered a junior synonym of N. queribunda .

Our exhaustive examination of Australian Araneidae did not reveal any specimens of N. queribunda collected in Australia and we do not consider this genus and species part of the Australian fauna.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Lectotype male of Novaranea queribunda (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov., male pedipalp, retrolateral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.