Poecilafroneta

Poecilafroneta
Conservation status
Data Deficient (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Linyphiidae
Genus:	Poecilafroneta Blest, 1979 [1]
Species:	P. caudata
Binomial name
Poecilafroneta caudata Blest, 1979

Poecilafroneta is a monotypic genus of Polynesian sheet weavers containing the single species, Poecilafroneta caudata. It was first described by A. D. Blest in 1979, ^[2] and has only been found in New Zealand. ^[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1979 by A.D Blest from male and female specimens. The holotype is stored in Otago Museum. ^[2]

Description

The male is recorded at 2.92mm in length whereas the female is 2.6mm. This species has a brown cephalothorax and pale yellow legs with black markings. The abdomen is grey with pale and dark markings. ^[2]

Distribution

This species is only known from Nelson, 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". ^[3]

References

1. "Gen. Poecilafroneta Blest, 1979". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2019. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2019-06-23.
2. Blest, A. D. (1979). "The spiders of New Zealand. Part V. Linyphiidae-Mynoglenidae". Otago Museum Bulletin. 5: 95–173.
3. 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.