Ascuta inopinata

Ascuta inopinata
Conservation status
Data Deficient (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Orsolobidae
Genus:	Ascuta
Species:	A. inopinata
Binomial name
Ascuta inopinata Forster, 1956

Ascuta inopinata is a species of Orsolobidae spider of the genus Ascuta . The species is endemic to New Zealand. ^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1956 by Ray Forster from a single male specimen collected on Mount Arthur. ^[1] It was redescribed in 1985. ^[2] The holotype is stored in Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000052. ^[3]

Description

The male is recorded at 2.29 mm (0.090 in) in length. The carapace is red brown. The legs are yellow brown. The abdomen is creamy with a chevron pattern. ^[1]

Distribution

This species is only known from Mount Arthur and Mount Fell, New Zealand. ^{[1] [2]}

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Data Deficient" with the qualifiers of "Data Poor: Size" and "Data Poor: Trend". ^[4]

References

1. Forster, R. R (1956). "New Zealand spiders of the family Oonopidae". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 7: 89–169.
2. Forster, R.R; Platnick, N.L (1985). "A review of the austral spider family Orsolobidae (Arachnida, Araneae), with notes on the superfamily Dysderoidea". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 181: 1–230.
3. "Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
4. 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.