Zearchaea clypeata

Zearchaea clypeata is a species of Mecysmaucheniidae spider that is endemic to New Zealand.

Zearchaea clypeata
Conservation status
Not Threatened (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Mecysmaucheniidae
Genus:	Zearchaea
Species:	Z. clypeata
Binomial name
Zearchaea clypeata Wilton, 1946

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1946 by Cecil Louis Wilton from female and male specimens collected in Masterton.^[1] It was then later redescribed in 1955.^[2] The holotype is stored in Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000017.^[3]

Description

The female is recorded at 2.2mm in length whereas the male is 1.5mm. This species has an orange brown cephalothorax and a creamy grey abdomen.^[1]

Distribution

This species is only known from scattered localities in the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand.^[2]

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened".^[4]