The species was first described by John Blackwall in 1865 as Epeira vigilans from specimens collected along the Shire River in Malawi. Due to its wide distribution and morphological variation, the species was described multiple times under different names by various authors. The extensive synonymy includes Araneus marshalli and A. spenceri from South Africa, Aranea temeraria from Mount Kilimanjaro, and several Asian forms.[2]
In 1986, Grasshoff conducted a comprehensive revision of African Neoscona species and established the current taxonomy by synonymizing the various names under N. vigilans.[2] Most recently in 2024, Mi, Wang & Li synonymized Neoscona xiquanensis, described from Hainan Island, with N. vigilans.[3]
Neoscona vigilans builds orb-webs at night in vegetation. The webs are removed early in the morning and the spiders rest on plants during the day. In South Africa, the species has been sampled from the Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Grassland, Nama Karoo, and Savannabiomes.[4]
Description
female
female
female
Neoscona vigilans exhibits the typical orb-weaver body plan with females considerably larger than males. Females measure 11-16 mm in total length while males are 7-9 mm.[2]
The cephalothorax is yellowish-brown and variably spotted, while the legs show distinct banding patterns. The abdomen displays a characteristic dorsal pattern with a wedge-shaped mark and folium design typical of many Neoscona species.[2]
In females, the epigyne is distinctive with openings directed laterally and covered by pointed ridges that extend far enough laterally to be visible beside the scape when viewed from below. The tibiae of legs I and II bear spines that are diagnostic for the species - those on tibia I are only slightly elongated, while tibia II has thickened, slightly shortened spines distributed evenly from base to tip.[2]
Males can be identified by their pedipalp structure, particularly the flattened tip of the median apophysis (unlike the twisted tips found in related species) and the cone-shaped lateral extension of the conductor. Some geographic variation exists, with African specimens lacking a tegular tubercle that is present in specimens from Nepal.[2]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Grasshoff, M. (1986). "Die Radnetzspinnen-Gattung Neoscona in Afrika (Arachnida: Araneae)". Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. 87 (B): 1–123.
↑ Mi, X. Q., Wang, C. & Li, S. Q. (2024). "Description of six new genera and twenty species of the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae (Araneae, Araneoidea) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China". Zoological Research: Diversity and Conservation. 1 (4): 290–341. doi:10.24272/j.issn.2097-3772.2024.023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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