Neoscona novella


Neoscona novella is a species of spider in the family Araneidae. It is an endemic species to Africa.

Distribution

Neoscona novella is known from Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
In South Africa, the species is known from five provinces at altitudes ranging from 62 to 1,369 m above sea level. These include Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.

Habitat and ecology

Neoscona novella consists of small orb-web spiders that make orb-webs in vegetation at night and remove them early in the morning. The species has been sampled from the Fynbos, Savanna, and Nama Karoo biomes.

Description

Neoscona novella is known only from the female. It is a small orb-web spider that constructs webs in vegetation.

Conservation

Neoscona novella is listed as Least Concern by the South [African National Biodiversity Institute] because it occurs over a large area. There are no known threats to the species. The species is protected in Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, Mogalakwena Nature Reserve, and Rooipoort Game Reserve.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described by Eugène Simon in 1907 from Bioko as Araneus novellus. It was revised by Grasshoff in 1986.