Neoscona oaxacensis

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Neoscona oaxacensis
File:NeoscanaOaxacensisLagunaBeach1.JPG
In Laguna Beach, California
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Neoscona
Species:
N. oaxacensis
Binomial name
Neoscona oaxacensis
(Keyserling, 1863)[1]
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Taczanowski, 1878 Keyserling, 1863
  • (Butler, 1877) Epeira cooksonii
  • Epeira oaxacensis Butler, 1877
  • Epeira adiantoides Neoscona cooksonii

Neoscona oaxacensis, known as western spotted orbweaver[3] and zig-zag spider,[4] is a species of spider in the family Araneidae. It is distributed in the Americas, from Kansas and California south to Venezuela and Peru, including the Galápagos Islands.[1]

Description

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Neoscona oaxacensis is a relatively large spider, females being about 9–18 mm (0.35–0.7 in) long overall, with a carapace of about 4–8 mm (0.15–0.3 in) long by 3–6 mm (0.1–0.25 in) wide. Males are smaller, being about 6–13 mm (0.25–0.5 in) long overall, with a carapace of about 3–6 mm (0.1–0.25 in) long by 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. Specimens from the Galápagos are among the largest found. The black-and-white pattern on the upper (dorsal) surface of the abdomen is considered to be distinctive. South American specimens have a more slender abdomen than North American ones, with a more distinct light central band, which has a wavy border. Females have an epigyne appearing 2.5 times as long as wide when viewed from the rear. Males have a palp with an S-shaped conductor.[1][2]

Taxonomy

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The species was first described by Eugen Keyserling in 1863, as Epeira oaxacensis. The specific name oaxacensis refers to Keyserling's description of its origin as Oaxaca, Mexico.[5] (The Latin ending -ensis is commonly added to a place name to mean "originating from".[6]) The genus Epeira was divided by Eugène Simon in 1864, one of the divisions being Neoscona.[7][8] F.O. Pickard-Cambridge placed Epeira oaxacensis in Neoscona in 1904.[9]

When found in the Galápagos, the species is often called Neoscona cooksoni and is said to be endemic,[10] but this name is now regarded as a synonym of N. oaxacensis.[1][4]

References

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  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., pp. 208–209
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  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., p. 261
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