Neoscona oaxacensis, known as western spotted orbweaver[3] and zig-zag spider,[4] is a species of spider in the family Araneidae. It is distributed in the Americas, from Kansas and California south to Venezuela and Peru, including the Galápagos Islands.[1]
| Neoscona oaxacensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Laguna Beach, California | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Neoscona |
| Species: | N. oaxacensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Neoscona oaxacensis (Keyserling, 1863)[1]
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| Synonyms[1][2] | |
| |
Description
editNeoscona oaxacensis is a relatively large spider, females being about 9–18 mm (0.35–0.7 in) long overall, with a carapace of about 4–8 mm (0.15–0.3 in) long by 3–6 mm (0.1–0.25 in) wide. Males are smaller, being about 6–13 mm (0.25–0.5 in) long overall, with a carapace of about 3–6 mm (0.1–0.25 in) long by 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. Specimens from the Galápagos are among the largest found. The black-and-white pattern on the upper (dorsal) surface of the abdomen is considered to be distinctive. South American specimens have a more slender abdomen than North American ones, with a more distinct light central band, which has a wavy border. Females have an epigyne appearing 2.5 times as long as wide when viewed from the rear. Males have a palp with an S-shaped conductor.[1][2]
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Taxonomy
editThe species was first described by Eugen Keyserling in 1863, as Epeira oaxacensis. The specific name oaxacensis refers to Keyserling's description of its origin as Oaxaca, Mexico.[5] (The Latin ending -ensis is commonly added to a place name to mean "originating from".[6]) The genus Epeira was divided by Eugène Simon in 1864, one of the divisions being Neoscona.[7][8] F.O. Pickard-Cambridge placed Epeira oaxacensis in Neoscona in 1904.[9]
When found in the Galápagos, the species is often called Neoscona cooksoni and is said to be endemic,[10] but this name is now regarded as a synonym of N. oaxacensis.[1][4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Levi, Herbert W. (1992), "American Neoscona and Corrections to Previous Revisions of Neotropical Orb-Weavers (Araneae: Araneidae)", Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 99 (2–3): 221–239, doi:10.1155/1992/93912
- ^ a b Berman, J.D. & Levi, H.W. (1971), "The orb weaver genus Neoscona in North America (Araneae: Araneidae)", Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 141: 465–500
- ^ "ITIS Standard Report Page: Neoscona oaxacensis", Integrated Taxonomic Information System, retrieved 2015-09-18
- ^ a b "Neoscona oaxacensis", Galapagos Species Checklist, Charles Darwin Foundation, retrieved 2015-09-18
- ^ Keyserling, E. (1864), "Beschreibungen neuer und wenig bekannter Arten aus der Familie Orbitelae Latr. oder Epeiridae Sund.", Sitzungsberichte und Abhandlungen der Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Isis in Dresden (in German), 1863: 63–98, 119–154
- ^ Stearn, W.T. (2004), Botanical Latin (4th (p/b) ed.), Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-7153-1643-6, pp. 208–209
- ^ "Gen. Neoscona Simon, 1864", World Spider Catalog Version 16.5, retrieved 2015-09-18
- ^ Simon, E. (1864), Histoire naturelle des araignées (aranéides), Paris
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), p. 261 - ^ Pickard-Cambridge, F.O. (1904), "Arachnida - Araneida and Opiliones", Biologia Centrali-Americana, vol. 2, pp. 465–560
- ^ Baert, Léon; Maelfait, Jean-Pierre & Desander, K. (1990), "A preliminary study of the spider communities of Isla Isabela (Galapagos archipelago, Ecuador)" (PDF), in Célérier, Marie-Louise; Heurtault & Christine Rollard, Jacqueline & Rollard, Christine (eds.), Comptes rendus du XIIème Colloque européen d'Arachnologie, Bulletin de la Société européenne d'Arachnologie, pp. 10–16, retrieved 2015-09-18