Revision of the new Australasian orb-weaving spider genus Salsa (Araneae, Araneidae)

Abstract

A new Australasian genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described to include seven species: Salsa fuliginata (L. Koch, 1871) comb. nov. (type species; = Epeira rubicundula Keyserling, 1887) syn. nov.) (Australia, introduced to New Zealand); S. brisbanae (L. Koch, 1867) comb. nov. (Australia); S. canalae (Berland, 1924) comb. nov. (New Caledonia); S. nenebasp. nov. (Papua New Guinea); S. recherchensis (Main, 1954) comb. nov. (Australia); S. ruedasp. nov. (Australia); and S. tartarasp. nov. (Australia; Lord Howe Island endemic). Salsagen. nov. belongs to the Australasian informal backobourkiine clade and differs from other genera of this clade by a distinct abdominal shape (single posterior abdominal tubercle) and ventral colouration (pale lateral spindle-shaped bands), male pedipalp morphology (C-shaped median apophysis that has teeth-like tubercles inside the basal arch) and the shape of the female epigyne scape (partially translucent and generally shorter than the epigyne plate). Based mainly on male pedipalp morphology within the backobourkiines, Salsagen. nov. has closest morphological affinities with Acroaspis Karsch, 1878 and Socca Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022.