Waimea Sheat Weaver (Orsonwelles torosus)
The Waimea Sheat Weaver is known from only a single, female specimen which was collected by R. C. L. Perkins, a famous British entomologist who is best known for its work on the invertebrate fauna of the Hawai’i Islands in the late 19th century.
This sole specimen is labeled only with the locality name of ‘Waimea’, a name that can be found on several of the Hawaiian Islands, however, it is quite possible that it refers to the Waimea area on the island of Kaua’i.
The Waimea Sheat Weaver has never been found again since and is now considered very likely extinct.
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Specimens from the neighboring islands of Hawai’i, Maui, Moloka’i, and O’ahu, that once were assigned to this species, were subsequently identified as and described as distinct species.
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References:
[1] Gustavo Hormiga: Orsonwelles, a new genus of giant linyphiid spiders (Araneae) from the Hawaiian Islands. Invertebrate Systematics 16. 369-448. 2002
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(public domain)
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edited: 20.09.2020