Araneus leai (Rainbow, 1894)

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 : 16

Araneus leai (Rainbow, 1894)

Epeira leai Rainbow, 1894: 287-289, plate 10, fig. 1.

Araneus leai (Rainbow). Rainbow 1911: 188; Bonnet 1955: 527.

Aranea leai (Rainbow). Roewer 1942: 829.

Type material.

Holotype of Epeira leai Rainbow, 1894: female, Bungendore [35°14'S, 149°127E, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA] (whereabouts unknown).

Remarks.

The holotype female of Epeira leai is not present in the AM and must be considered lost. The original description suggests this species to belong to Neoscona , but the rudimentary description of the epigyne ( Rainbow 1894, p. 289: "Epigyne a short blunt process") does not allow to associate this species with any known Neoscona from New South Wales. Therefore, I consider Epeira leai a nomen dubium.