Araneus rarus (Keyserling, 1887)

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 : 17

Araneus rarus (Keyserling, 1887)

Epeira rara Keyserling, 1887: 193-194, plate 17, figs 2, 2a.

Araneus rarus (Keyserling). Hogg 1900: 74; Rainbow 1911: 192; Bonnet 1955: 581.

Type material.

Holotype of Epeira rara Keyserling, 1887: male, Cape York [ca. 15°00'S, 143°00'E, Queensland, AUSTRALIA], Bradley Collection (whereabouts unknown).

Remarks.

As other types from the Bradley collection, the male holotype of Epeira rara should be considered lost. Keyserling (1887) described two araneid species based on males from the Bradley collection, Araneus rarus and Araneus mulierarius (Keyserling, 1887). Whereas the latter can be identified based on the original description (and is congeneric with Araneus dimidiatus (L. Koch, 1871) in a new genus of Australian orb-weavers; see Scharff et al. in press), the description and illustrations of the former do not allow a species identification against material from northern Queensland as investigated primarily in the Queensland Museum. I therefore consider the species-group name Epeira rara a nomen dubium. The uncommented listing of A. rarus from Victoria ( Hogg 1900) cannot be confirmed.