Araneus agastus Rainbow, 1916

W. Framenau, Volker, 2019, Generic and family transfers, and numina dubia for orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) in the Australasian, Oriental and Pacific regions, Evolutionary Systematics 3 (1), pp. 1-27 : 13

Araneus agastus Rainbow, 1916 Fig. 9A, B

Araneus agastus Rainbow, 1916a: 104-106, pl. 22, figs 20-21.

Type material.

Holotype of Araneus agastus Rainbow, 1916: Penultimate female, Gordonvale [17°05'S, 145°46'E, Queensland, AUSTRALIA], 22 August 1912, "taken from web in front of window of dwelling" ( Rainbow 1916a) (AM KS6506) (examined).

Remarks.

The holotype female of Araneus agastus (Figs 9A, B) is a penultimate female and cannot be identified at the species level. The species may be a junior synonym of Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) or B. brounii ( Urquhart 1885), but this cannot be ascertained. Therefore, the species-group name A. agastus is here proposed a nomen dubium.