Arachnologische Mitteilungen 58

Infraspecific spider taxa of Embrik Strand 37 Gasteracantha rhomboidea comorensis Strand, 1916 = subspecies inquirenda There is a long history of synonymizing Gasteracantha species from Madagascar and related islands or downgrading them to subspecies (Benoit 1964, Emerit 1974). It seems difficult to conclude on the justification of downgrading Gasteracan- tha comorensis Strand 1916 to a subspecies of Gasteracantha rhomboidea Guerin 1838 as Emerit (1974: 95) did. According to Emerit (1974) the ecology of three included subspecies, all previously independent species, is rather different. Moreo- ver, there is a high variability in spine and sigilla pattern.This has been used to justify downgrading to subspecies level, but it also points to the need of investigating further characters and finally to molecular characterization. Therefore, we do not change the subspecies level of Gasteracantha rhomboidea comorensis (Strand 1916d: 117, decribed from females from the Comoros and Mayotte), just to be on the safe side, but un- derline that this group needs taxonomic revision (subspecies inquirenda). The type material is available in Berlin (ZMB 283, 25489–502, 26022). Gasteracantha signifera bistrigella Strand, 1911 Gasteracantha signifera heterospina Strand, 1915 Gasteracantha signifera pustulinota Strand, 1911 all subspecies inquirenda These three names have been published by Strand (1911a: 206, 1915b: 236) from the Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea) as aberrations of the nominate form Gastera- cantha signifera Pocock, 1898 (known from the nearby Solo- mon Is.) and the World Spider Catalog (2019) lists them as subspecies. The type material is available at SMF (PJ vid.): bistrigella (SMF 3766, 3782), heterospina (SMF 3781), pustu- linota (SMF 3779, 3780). Dahl lists bistrigella and pustulinota as synonyms of signifera (1914: 281), while Bonnet (1957: 1937, 1940, 1967) mentions all three taxa as synonyms of the nominate form. A revision of these subspecies is needed. We leave them as subspecies inquirenda. Gasteracantha strasseni anirica Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha pentagona (Walckenaer, 1841) Strand (1915b: 230) described this variety (a synonym of the nominate form strasseni in Bonnet (1957: 1937) and with subspecies rank in the World Spider Catalog 2019) from one female collected in the Bismarck Archipelago (now part of Papua New Guinea). He described differences in colour pattern and also the length of opisthosomal spines to the nominate form which also occurs in this area. However, G. pentagona shows great variation in colour pattern and length of opisthosomal spines (compare descriptions and figures in the literature given in the World Spider Catalog). The type of anirica (SMF 3789) (CK vid.) shows characters not con- gruent with Strand’s (1915) description, e.g. there is a fairly well recognizable (given the age of the type specimen) light median band on the sternum and there is a clear dark band underlying the posterior row of sigillae.The type fits well the decriptions and figures for the nominate form of G. pentago- na given in the literature. Therefore, we consider G. strasseni anirica Strand to be a new synonym of the nominate form of Gasteracantha pentagona (Walckenaer, 1841) (synonymization of G. strasseni with G. pentagona by Dahl 1914). Gasteracantha taeniata maculella Strand, 1911 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer 1841) This name has been published by Strand (1911b: 154) as aberration of the nominate species Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer 1841). Already Dahl (1914: 280) synonymized it with G. taeniata (1914: 287) and Bonnet (1957: 1339) fol- lowed him. Roewer (1942: 948-949), however, listed maculella as a subspecies of G. taeniata and the World Spider Cata- log (2019) followed him.The numerous type material consist of 15 adult and 9 subadult females and is available at SMF (SMF 3792, 3794 - 3798): it varies according to colouration, lateral spine length and epigynal shape, but belongs clearly to the nominate form (PJ vid.).We follow Dahl’s argumentation that maculella is a synonym of the nominate form of Gastera- cantha taeniata (Walckenaer 1841). Gasteracantha taeniata bawensis Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) Gasteracantha taeniata jamurensis Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) Gasteracantha taeniata obsoletopicta Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) Gasteracantha taeniata oinokensis Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) Gasteracantha taeniata sentanensis Strand, 1915 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) These five names have been published by Strand (1915b: 235) as aberrations of Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841) because he thought that their colour pattern would be differ- ent and justify its own name. Gasteracantha species are known for their high variability. Strand gave them different infra- specific names, while Dahl (1914) in his revision of Gastera- cantha , that appeared one year before Strand published these five names, synonymized all other Strand subspecies with the respective nominate species. Dahl also mentioned the large series of spiders he had compared from different locations, the high variability and that even very differently looking speci- mens occurred in the same population. Roewer transferred all five aberrations to subspecies (Roewer 1942: 948–949), Bonnet (1957: 1969) listed them with the nominate form but did not formally synonymize them, and the World Spi- der Catalog (2019) followed Roewer.While the type material of obsoletopicta is at SMF (SMF 3799), type material of the other aberrations could not be found in the SMF or in any of the contacted museums. We follow the argumentation lines of Dahl and Bonnet and conclude that all five aberrations are new synonyms of the nominate form Gasteracantha taeniata (Walckenaer, 1841). Gasteracantha theisi quadrisignatella Strand, 1911 = syn. nov. of the nominate form of Gasteracantha theisi Guérin, 1838 Strand (1911a: 206) described this taxon as a female variety from islands in the west of New Guinea (synonymized by Bonnet (1957: 1940) with the nominate form and with sub- species rank in the World Spider Catalog 2019) according to