Rayforstia signata ( Forster, 1959 ) Rix & Harvey, 2010

Rix, Michael & Harvey, Mark, 2010, The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level, ZooKeys 36 (36), pp. 1-321 : 61

Rayforstia signata ( Forster, 1959) , comb. n.

Figs 86 A–B, 87C

Textricella signata Forster, 1959: 283 , figs 24–25 (holotype male from Lake Janet, Canterbury, New Zealand, in Canterbury Museum, not examined). Brignoli, 1983: 375. Platnick, 2009.

Selected material examined. NEW ZEALAND: South Island: Canterbury: Lake Janet , 1.VIII.1949, R. Forster, 4♀ ( AMNH) ; Puhipuhi Valley, Kaikoura , 12.X.1965, A. Walker, 9♁, 4♀ ( AMNH) . Marlborough: Saxton Pass, Molesworth , 17.VIII.1966, A. Walker, 6♁, 6♀ ( AMNH) .

Remarks. Rayforstia signata is most similar to the other eight-eyed species of Rayforstia described from New Zealand ( R. antipoda , R. insula , R. mcfarlanei and R. vulgaris ), but can be distinguished by the distinctive shape of the external epigyne ( Fig. 86B ).

Figures

Figure 86. New Zealand Rayforstia species, eyes and external epigynes. A–D eight-eyed species of Rayforstia: A eyes of male R. signata (Forster) from the Puhipuhi Valley (AMNH) B ventral abdomen of female R. signata from the Puhipuhi Valley (AMNH) C eyes of male R. antipoda (Forster) from Lake Hawea (AMNH) D ventral abdomen of female R. antipoda from Lake Hawea (AMNH). E–H six-eyed species of Rayforstia: E eyes of female R. propinqua (Forster) from Broken River (MCZ) F ventral abdomen of female R. propinqua from Broken River (MCZ) G ventral abdomen of paratype female R. salmoni (Forster) from Waiouru (AMNH) H ventral abdomen of female R. scuta (Forster) from Norsewood (MCZ).