Arachnura caudatella Roewer, 1942

Castanheira, Pedro De S., Didham, Raphael K., Vink, Cor J. & Framenau, Volker W., 2019, The scorpion-tailed orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae, Arachnura) in Australia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 4706 (1), pp. 147-170 : 165

Arachnura caudatella Roewer, 1942

Epeira caudata Bradley, 1876: 147 , plate 1, figs 7, 7a (preoccupied by Epeira caudata Hentz, 1850 = Cyclosa turbinata ( Walckenaer, 1841)) .

Arachnura caudata (Bradley) .- Simon, 1895: 777; Rainbow, 1909: 218; Rainbow, 1911: 179.

Arachnura caudatella Roewer, 1942: 752 (replacement name).

Type material: Holotype female of Epeira caudata Bradley, 1876 , Hall Sound (ca. 8°49’S, 16°34’ E, 1875, PAPUA NEW GUINEA). Considered lost (see Remarks below) (not examined).

Remarks. Arachnura caudatella was repeatedly reported from Australia (e.g. Rainbow, 1909, 1911); however, no specimens are known from any collection examined for this study. The holotype female of the species was not found in the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, where other types of Bradley (1876) were found (VWF unpublished data), nor at the Australian Museum, Sydney.

The original description casts doubt on the affinities of A. caudatella with Arachnura , where Simon (1895) placed the species. Bradley’s (1876) description and illustrations are not consistent with Arachnura and suggest A. caudatella to belong to the genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 . However, the original description without illustration of the genitalia does not allow an accurate identification of A. caudatella and considering the potential diversity of Eriovixia in South-East Asia, we consider the species-group name a nomen dubium.