Abba, a new monotypic genus of orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) from Australia

By

Castanheira, Pedro De Souza
Framenau, Volker Wilhelm

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-1-16

Original Publication

Evolutionary systematics

Volume

7

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

73--81

Subjects

araneids , monotypy , systematics , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Hamburg Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak) 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.98015

 

Abstract

A new monotypic genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described from Australia:Abbagen. nov., withAbba transversa(Rainbow, 1912)comb. nov.as the type species. It differs from all other genera in the family by somatic characters, specifically a patch of approximately five long spines on the prolateral surface of the first leg in males and an abdominal colouration with a pair of two central spots dorsally on a creamy-white surface. Specimens ofA. transversacomb. nov.have been collected in Queensland and New South Wales, where the species is largely summer-mature. We also provide a genus level summary of all Australian Araneidae, currently consisting of 230 described species and eight subspecies in 46 genera.