Tackling taxonomic redundancy in spiders: the infraspecific spider taxa described by Embrik Strand (Arachnida: Araneae) | Taxonomische Redundanz bei Spinnen: die infraspezifischen Spinnentaxa von Embrik Strand (Arachnida: Araneae)

Strand considered each deviation of specimens from the original description in colouration, body size and shape, eye pattern or leg spination as sufficient to describe infraspecific taxa such as subspecies, varieties, forms and aberrations. Following this problematic approach, he erected 165 infraspecific names which may reflect phenetics rather than evolutionary history. The aim of this paper is to review the 102 still valid names according to current taxonomic standards. Here we declare 39 subspecies as new synonyms of the nominate form, we confirm 10 previously overlooked synonymies of subspecies with the nominate form, and 26 taxa are nomina dubia (some described from juveniles or type material destroyed afterwards). In 24 cases we recommend in-depth taxonomic studies on subspecies and species complexes (subspecies and species inquirenda), in 3 cases we concluded on stat. nov. In detail, we propose the following changes: Acanthoctenus impar pygmaeus Strand, 1909 = Nothroctenus marshi (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) syn. nov.; Agelena jumbo kiwuensis Strand, 1913 = Mistaria kiwuensis (Strand, 1913) stat. nov.; Aranea börneri clavimacula Strand, 1907 = Araneus boerneri (Strand, 1907) syn. nov.; Aranea börneri obscurella Strand, 1907 = Araneus boerneri (Strand, 1907) syn. nov.; Aranea dehaani octopunctigera Strand, 1911 = Parawixia dehaani octopunctigera (Strand, 1911) subspecies inquirenda; Aranea dehaani pygituberculata Strand, 1911 = Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859) syn. nov.; Aranea dehaani quadripunctigera Strand, 1911 = Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859) syn. nov.; Aranea rufipalpis fuscinotum Strand, 1908 = Neoscona fuscinotum (Strand, 1908) comb. nov.; Aranea rufipalpis nigrodecorata Strand, 1908 = nomen dubium (in Neoscona); Aranea rufipalpis punctipedella Strand, 1908 = nomen dubium (in Neoscona); Aranea rufipalpis strigatella Strand, 1908 = Neoscona strigatella (Strand, 1908) comb. nov.; Aranea theisi feisiana Strand, 1911 = Neoscona theisi syn. nov.; Aranea triangula mensamontella Strand, 1907 = Neoscona triangula (Keyserling, 1864) syn. nov.; Asagena tristis ruwenzorica Strand, 1913 = nomen dubium; Camaricus nigrotesselatus lineitarsus Strand, 1907 = nomen dubium; Clubiona abbajensis karisimbiensis Strand, 1916 = Clubiona abbajensis Strand, 1906 syn. nov.; Clubiona abbajensis maxima Strand, 1906 = nomen dubium; Corinna sanguinea inquirenda Strand, 1906 = Corinna sanguinea Strand, 1906 syn. nov.; Ctenus peregrinus sapperi Strand, 1916 = Ctenus peregrinus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 syn. nov.; Cyrtarachne tricolor aruana Strand, 1911 = Cyrtarachne tricolor (Doleschall, 1859) syn. nov.; Cyrtophora citricola abessinensis Strand, 1906 = Cyrtophora citricola (Forsskål, 1775) syn. nov.; “This abstract has been truncated. To view the complete abstract please download the PDF”