Helsonia

Helsonia
Conservation status
Data Deficient (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Desidae
Genus:	Helsonia Forster, 1970 [1]
Species:	H. plata
Binomial name
Helsonia plata Forster, 1970

Helsonia is a monotypic genus of South Pacific intertidal spiders containing the single species, Helsonia plata. It was first described by Raymond Robert Forster in 1970, ^[2] and has only been found in New Zealand. ^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1970 by Ray Forster from a male specimen. ^[2] The holotype is stored in Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000086. ^[3]

Description

The male is recorded at 9.60mm in length. The cephalothorax and legs are coloured reddish brown. The abdomen is creamy with darker markings dorsally. ^[2]

Distribution

This species is only known from Mount Arthur in New Zealand. ^[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" and "One Location". ^[4]

References

1. "Gen. Helsonia Forster, 1970". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2019. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2019-05-31.
2. Forster, R. R. (1970). "The spiders of New Zealand. Part III". Otago Museum Bulletin. 3: 1–184.
3. "Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
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.