Porrhothele moana is a species of Mygalomorphae spider endemic to New Zealand.

Porrhothele moana

Not Threatened (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Porrhothelidae
Genus: Porrhothele
Species:
P. moana
Binomial name
Porrhothele moana
Forster, 1968

Taxonomy

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This species was described in 1968 by Ray Forster from female and male specimens from Westland. The holotype is stored at Otago Museum. [1]

Description

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This species has a stocky appearance. Females are known to grow over 16mm in body length. The carapace and legs are brown. The abdomen is purple, sometimes with faint chevron patterns dorsally. The males are of roughly the same size and colour, but with modifications in the first pair of legs typical of male Porrhothele.[1]

Distribution

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This species is only known from Westland in New Zealand.[1]

Conservation status

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Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as Not Threatened.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Forster, Raymond Robert; Wilton, Cecil Louis (1968-01-01). "The Spiders of New Zealand Part II: Ctenizidae, Dipluridae & Migidae". Otago Museum bulletin. 2: 1–166.
  2. ^ "NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-07-14.