Neoscona inusta (L. Koch, 1871) L. Koch, 1871

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 : 12-13

Neoscona inusta (L. Koch, 1871) comb. n.

Epeira inusta L. Koch, 1871: 94-95, plate 7, figs 3, 3 a–b.

Epeira weyersi Simon, 1885: 38 (synonymy established in Thorell (1870)).

Araneus inustus (L. Koch). Simon 1895: 813; Rainbow 1911: 187; Bonnet 1955: 522; Chrysanthus 1960: 41-42, figs 52, 59, 67-68, 48; Yin et al. 1997: 138, figs 53 a–c; Song et al. 1999: 239, figs 138 F–G, 148F.

Type material.

Holotype of Epeira inusta L. Koch, 1871: 1 female, Bowen (Port Denisson) [20°00'S, 148°14'E, AUSTRALIA] Museum Godeffroy (depository unknown).

Remarks.

The holotype female of Epeira inusta was not found in the collections of the BMNH, ZMH or ZMB where most specimens of the Godeffroy Museum are expected to be housed. The BMNH purchased parts of the collection of L. Koch and has a female identified by L. Koch as Epeira inusta (BMNH 1915.3.5.781, examined); however, this female is labelled Gayndah (Queensland), not Bowen and it is unlikely the missing holotype. A further two females from Rockhampton (Queensland) were part of Keyserling’s collection (BMNH 1890.7.1.4121.2, examined) but neither can be the missing type. However, there is no doubt about the identity of this species which is not only very common along the east-coast of Australia (unpublished data), but also occurs in eastern and south-eastern Asia ( Barrion and Litsinger 1995; Chrysanthus 1960; 1971; Song et al. 1999).

I have examined many males and females of this species. It is clearly misplaced in Araneus . Somatic and genitalic characters (in particular the female epigyne and male pedipalp, e.g. the shape of the median apophysis) (see Chrysanthus 1960) clearly place this species in Neoscona : Neoscona inusta (L. Koch, 1871), comb. n. Chrysanthus (1960) flagged a potential synonym of N. inusta with Araneus gestroi (Thorell, 1881) described from Papua New Guinea which should be further investigated in a review of Australian and South-East Asian Neoscona .