Neoscona

Neoscona, known as spotted orb-weavers and barn spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders with more than 100 described species. It was erected by Eugène Simon in 1895 to separate these from other araneids in the now obsolete genus Epeira.

Name

The name Neoscona was derived from the Greek νέω, meaning "spin", and σχοῖνος, meaning "reed".

Distribution

They have a mostly pantropical distribution and one species, Neoscona adianta, has a palearctic distribution.
Only eight of the more than 100 species can be found in North America.

Description

Neoscona species are among the most common spiders in North America and are found throughout most parts of the world.
There are large variations in the dorsal patterns and coloration of the abdomen, even in a single species. Most have a light color with wavy edges along the mid-line, and darker swirls either side of that. Ventral abdominal patterns may consist of a dark area bordered by white, roughly forming a square. In adults the pattern can be faded. The venter of the abdomen is dark bordered on the sides by white spots.
Neoscona can be difficult to distinguish from species of Araneus without close examination of the carapace. Neoscona have a characteristic dorsal groove on the carapace that is parallel with the long axis of the body. The dorsal grooves of Araneus are transverse or angular, though they are sometimes so small that they appear as dimples on the dorsal surface.
The leg formula of Neoscona is 1243: the first are the longest, the second are second longest and the third are the shortest. The largest eyes are the anterior medians, next or subequal are posterior medians and the secondary eyes are slightly smaller.
The webs are usually vertical with about twenty radii and an open hub at the centre. Some species have been recorded as retreating to a leaf during the day.

Species

, this genus includes 112 species and eleven subspecies:Neoscona achine – India, ChinaNeoscona adianta – Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, Russia, China, Korea, Japan

* Neoscona adianta persecta – ChinaNeoscona alberti – DR Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South AfricaNeoscona albertoi Barrion-Dupo, 2008 – PhilippinesNeoscona aldinei Barrion-Dupo, 2008 – PhilippinesNeoscona amamiensis Tanikawa, 1998 – JapanNeoscona ampoyae Barrion-Dupo, 2008 – PhilippinesNeoscona angulatula – Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles Neoscona arabesca – North, Central America, Caribbean. Introduced to Nepal, China Neoscona bengalensis Tikader & Bal, 1981 – Pakistan, India, BangladeshNeoscona bihumpi Patel, 1988 – IndiaNeoscona biswasi Bhandari & Gajbe, 2001 – IndiaNeoscona blondeli – AfricaNeoscona bucheti – Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Neoscona bucheti avakubiensis – Congo
* Neoscona bucheti flexuosa – Congo, YemenNeoscona byzanthina – Spain, France, Italy, Romania, Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Russia, IranNeoscona cereolella – Congo, East Africa, Madagascar
* Neoscona cereolella setaceola – Central AfricaNeoscona cheesmanae – VanuatuNeoscona chiarinii – Cameroon, DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South AfricaNeoscona chongzuoensis X. X. Zhang & F. Zhang, 2011 – ChinaNeoscona chrysanthusi Tikader & Bal, 1981 – Pakistan, India, BhutanNeoscona crucifera – North America. Introduced to Hawaii, Azores, Madeira, Canary IslandsNeoscona decolor – Australia, FijiNeoscona dhruvai Patel & Nigam, 1994 – IndiaNeoscona dhumani Patel & Reddy, 1993 – IndiaNeoscona domiciliorum – United StatesNeoscona dostinikea Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesNeoscona dyali Gajbe, 2004 – IndiaNeoscona elliptica Tikader & Bal, 1981 – India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, LaosNeoscona enucleata – India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, SumatraNeoscona facundoi Barrion-Dupo, 2008 – PhilippinesNeoscona flavida Kim, Lee & Yoo, 2019 – KoreaNeoscona flavopunctata – FijiNeoscona floriata – Indonesia Neoscona fuscinotum – TogoNeoscona goliath – Ivory CoastNeoscona govindai Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2013 – BangladeshNeoscona granti – New GuineaNeoscona hirta – Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, EswatiniNeoscona holmi – China, KoreaNeoscona huzaifi Mukhtar, 2012 – PakistanNeoscona inusta – Taiwan, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Neoscona isatis Zamani, Marusik & Šestáková, 2020 – IranNeoscona jindoensis Kim, Lee & Ji, 2016 – KoreaNeoscona jinghongensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – ChinaNeoscona kabiri Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2013 – BangladeshNeoscona kisangani Grasshoff, 1986 – CongoNeoscona kivuensis Grasshoff, 1986 – DR Congo, South AfricaNeoscona kunmingensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – ChinaNeoscona lactea – TaiwanNeoscona leucaspis – ChinaNeoscona lipana Barrion-Dupo, 2008 – PhilippinesNeoscona maculaticeps – Japan, SamoaNeoscona madagascarica – MadagascarNeoscona marcanoi Levi, 1993 – Cuba, HispaniolaNeoscona mellotteei – China, Korea, Taiwan, JapanNeoscona menghaiensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – ChinaNeoscona molemensis Tikader & Bal, 1981 – India, Bangladesh, Philippines, IndonesiaNeoscona moreli – Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles, Réunion, Mauritius. Introduced to the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, ArgentinaNeoscona mukerjei Tikader, 1980 – Pakistan, India, BangladeshNeoscona multiplicans – China, Korea, JapanNeoscona murthyi Patel & Reddy, 1990 – IndiaNeoscona nasidae Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2013 – BangladeshNeoscona nautica – Asia and Pacific islands. Introduced to the Americas and AfricaNeoscona notanda – Australia Neoscona novella – Equatorial Guinea, South AfricaNeoscona oaxacensis – United States, Peru, GalapagosNeoscona odites – IndiaNeoscona oriemindoroana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesNeoscona orizabensis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 – MexicoNeoscona parambikulamensis Patel, 2003 – IndiaNeoscona pavida – Pakistan, India, ChinaNeoscona penicillipes – West, Central Africa, South AfricaNeoscona piaoyi Mi, Wang & Li, 2024 – ChinaNeoscona platnicki Gajbe & Gajbe, 2001 – IndiaNeoscona plebeja – Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Austral Is. Neoscona pratensis – Canada, United StatesNeoscona pseudonautica Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – China, KoreaNeoscona pseudoscylla – ChinaNeoscona punctigera – Réunion, India, Myanmar, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, AustraliaNeoscona quadrigibbosa Grasshoff, 1986 – Central Africa, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, EswatiniNeoscona quincasea Roberts, 1983 – Cabo Verde, DR Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles Neoscona rahamani Biswas & Raychaudhuri, 2013 – BangladeshNeoscona rapta – Sub-Saharan Africa. Introduced to St. HelenaNeoscona raydakensis Saha, Biswas, Majumder & Raychaudhuri, 1995 – IndiaNeoscona rufipalpis – Cape Verde, St. Helena, Africa, Yemen
* Neoscona rufipalpis buettnerana – Cameroon, TogoNeoscona sanghi Gajbe, 2004 – IndiaNeoscona sanjivani Gajbe, 2004 – IndiaNeoscona scylla – Pakistan, Nepal, China, Russia, Korea, JapanNeoscona scylloides – Russia, Korea, Japan, China, TaiwanNeoscona semilunaris – China, Korea, JapanNeoscona shillongensis Tikader & Bal, 1981 – Pakistan, India, ChinaNeoscona simoni Grasshoff, 1986 – Central AfricaNeoscona sinhagadensis – India, Pakistan, ChinaNeoscona spasskyi – Caucasus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, KyrgyzstanNeoscona stanleyi – CongoNeoscona strigatella – East AfricaNeoscona subfusca – Southern Europe, St. Helena, Africa, Turkey, Middle East, Ukraine, Caucasus, Russia,
* Neoscona subfusca alboplagiata Caporiacco, 1947 – Tanzania
* Neoscona subfusca pallidior – Equatorial Guinea Neoscona subpullata – China, Korea, JapanNeoscona tedgenica – TurkmenistanNeoscona theisi – Cyprus, Israel, Caucasus, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Philippines, China, Indonesia, Japan, Australia. Introduced to Seychelles, Pacific Is.
* Neoscona theisi carbonaria – Vietnam
* Neoscona theisi savesi – New Caledonia
* Neoscona theisi theisiella – West, Central, East Africa, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Yemen
* Neoscona theisi triangulifera – New GuineaNeoscona tianmenensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – China, KoreaNeoscona triangula – Cape Verde, Africa, IndiaNeoscona triramusa Yin & Zhao, 1994 – ChinaNeoscona ujavalai Reddy & Patel, 1992 – IndiaNeoscona usbonga Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – India, PhilippinesNeoscona utahana – United States, MexicoNeoscona vigilans – Sub-Saharan Africa, Oman, Iran, Pakistan, Japan and New GuineaNeoscona wuding Mi, Wang & Li, 2024 – ChinaNeoscona xishanensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – India, ChinaNeoscona yadongensis Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990 – ChinaNeoscona yptinika Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – India, PhilippinesNeoscona zhui X. X. Zhang & F. Zhang, 2011 – China