Waiporia modica is a species of Orsolobidae that is endemic to New Zealand.[1]

Waiporia modica

Data Deficient (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Orsolobidae
Genus: Waiporia
Species:
W. modica
Binomial name
Waiporia modica
(Forster, 1956)
Synonyms

Ascuta modica

Taxonomy

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This species was described as Ascuta mensa in 1956 by Ray Forster from a male specimen collected in Christchurch.[1] In 1985, it was moved into the Waiporia genus and the female was described.[2] The holotype is stored in Canterbury Museum.[1]

Description

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The male is recorded at 2.13mm in length whereas the female is 2.47mm. This species has dark brown legs, dark orange brown carapace and a creamy white abdomen that has a chevron pattern dorsally.[1][2]

Distribution

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This species is only known from Christchurch and Banks Peninsula in New Zealand.[1][2]

Conservation status

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d e Forster, R. R (1956). "New Zealand spiders of the family Oonopidae". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 7: 89–169.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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.