Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae)

Abstract

The new genus Hortophora in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is established to include 13 species from the Australasian-Pacific region, with ten species known from Australia (five of which new to science): Hortophora biapicata (L. Koch, 1871), comb. nov. (type species) (= Araneus biapicatifera Strand, 1907, syn. nov.; = Epeira frosti Hogg, 1896, syn. nov.); H. cucullus sp. nov.; H. lodicula (Keyserling, 1887), comb. nov. (= Epeira scutigerens Hogg, 1900, syn. nov.); H. megacantha sp. nov.; H. porongurup sp. nov.; H. tatianeae sp. nov.; H. transmarina (Keyserling, 1865), comb. nov.) (also known from Papua New Guinea); H. urbana (Keyserling, 1887), comb. nov.; H. walesiana (Karsch, 1878), comb. nov. (= Epeira rhombocephala Thorell 1881, syn. nov.; = Epeira lutulenta Keyserling, 1886, syn. nov.); and H. yesabah sp. nov. The following species of Hortophora gen. nov. are recognised from the Pacific region but not revised in detail due to a lack of material, specifically mature males: Hortophora capitalis (L. Koch, 1871), comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with H. transmarina comb. nov.) from Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu; H. flavicoma (Simon, 1880), comb. nov. from New Caledonia (incl. Loyalty Islands) and H. viridis (Keyserling, 1865), comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with H. transmarina comb. nov.) from Samoa. Epeira thyridota Thorell, 1870 is here removed from synonymy with H. transmarina comb. nov. and transferred to Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010, B. thyridota (Thorell, 1870), comb. nov. Hortophora gen. nov. includes medium-sized to large, nocturnal orb-weaving spiders typically with subtriangular to ovoid abdomen bearing humeral humps. The tibiae of the second leg in males is usually enlarged with numerous strong spines and an apico-ventral megaspur carrying a large spine in some species. Male pedipalps generally have an elongated, transverse median apophysis ending in a bifid tip in most species, a sinuous to straight embolus and a bubble-shaped terminal apophysis. The female epigyne scape is highly elongated and does not have a terminal pocket. Genital mutilation, i.e. breaking off the epigyne scape during copulation, is common in some species. Hortophora gen. nov. include the most frequently collected nocturnal orb-weaving spiders in Australia.