Taraire is a small genus of Polynesian long-jawed orb-weavers. The genus was first described by A. Álvarez-Padilla, R. J. Kallal and Gustavo Hormiga in 2020,[2] and it has only been found in New Zealand.[1] They build vertical orb webs near forest floors, and can be found resting in the center. The genus name is a reference to Beilschmiedia tarairi, the native New Zealand tree that they are commonly found in.[2]

Taraire
Taraire rufolineata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Tetragnathidae
Genus: Taraire
Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020[1]
Type species
Linyphia rufo-lineata
(Urquhart, 1889)
Species
  • Taraire oculta Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020
  • Taraire rufolineata (Urquhart, 1889)

As of April 2022 it contains only two species: T. oculta and T. rufolineata, one newly described and one transferred from Meta.[3][1] Though they are closely related to species of Tawhai, their exact relation to other genera in the family is still unclear due to inconclusive phylogenetic analyses.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Gen. Taraire Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2022. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  2. ^ a b c Álvarez-Padilla, A.; Kallal, R. J.; Hormiga, G. (2020). "Taxonomy and phylogenetics of Nanometinae and other Australasian orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Tetragnathidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 438: 1–107. doi:10.1206/0003-0090.438.1.1.
  3. ^ Urquhart, A. T. (1889). "On new species of Araneida". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 21: 134–152.

Further reading edit