Aotearoa magna is a species of spiders in the Mecysmaucheniidae family. It was first described in 1949 by Forster. As of 2017[update], it is the only species in the genus Aotearoa, erected by Forster and Platnick in 1984. It is found in New Zealand.[1] (The Māori name of the island nation is Aotearoa.)
| Aotearoa magna | |
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| Male Aotearoa magna | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Mecysmaucheniidae |
| Genus: | Aotearoa Forster & Platnick, 1984[1] |
| Species: | A. magna
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| Binomial name | |
| Aotearoa magna (Forster, 1949)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Zearchaea magna | |
Taxonomy
editThis species was described in 1949 by Ray Forster from male and female specimens collected in Fiordland.[2] In 1984, it was moved into the Aotearoa genus by Ray Forster and Norman Platnick, of which it is the sole member.[3] The holotype is stored in Canterbury Museum.[2]
Description
editThe male is recorded at 2.62mm in length whereas the female is 3.83mm. This species has a dark brown carapace and a greyish yellow abdomen. The head has dark brown markings dorsally near the eyes.[2]
Distribution
editThis species is only known from Fiordland, New Zealand.[2]
Conservation status
editUnder the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Gen. Aotearoa Forster & Platnick, 1984". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
- ^ a b c d Forster, R.R. (1949). "New Zealand spiders of the family Archaeidae". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 5: 193–203.
- ^ Forster, R.R.; Platnick, N.I. (1984). "A review of the archaeid spiders and their relatives, with notes on the limits of the superfamily Palpimanoidea (Arachnida, Araneae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 178: 1–106.
- ^ 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" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 34: 1–37.