The new Australo‐Pacific orb‐weaving spider genus Socca is established to include 12 species from Australia: Socca pustulosa (Walckenaer, 1841) comb. nov. (type species; also present in New Zealand); S. arena sp. nov. , S. australis sp. nov. S. caiguna sp. nov. , S. elvispresleyi sp. nov. , S. eugeni sp. nov. , S . johnnywarreni sp. nov. , S. kullmanni sp. nov. , S. levyashini sp. nov. , S. pleia sp. nov. , S. senicaudata (Simon, 1908) comb. nov. (= Araneus senicaudatus simplex Simon, 1908 syn. nov.) and S. sydneyica (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov. (= Epeira inquieta Keyserling, 1887 syn. nov. ). Socca gen. nov. includes medium‐sised, nocturnal orb‐weaving spiders. It differs from other backobourkiine genera by five tubercles posteriorly on the abdomen and a tri‐partite terminal apophysis of the male pedipalp. The epigyne plate in females is about as wide as long and the scape elongate and reaches posteriorly beyond the epigyne plate. Specimens of five Socca gen. nov. species were sequenced for the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). The preliminary phylogeny supports our morphological species but does not confirm species‐groups based on morphology and suggests that New Zealand S. pustulosa comb. nov. populations originate from south‐eastern Australia. Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FA8B2BB0‐B797‐4122‐B4C1‐1EF14B999BF2

The new genus Hortophora in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is established to include 13 species from the Australasian-Pacific region, with ten species known from Australia (five of which new to science): Hortophora biapicata (L. Koch, 1871), comb. nov. (type species) (= Araneus biapicatifera Strand, 1907, syn. nov.; = Epeira frosti Hogg, 1896, syn. nov.); H. cucullussp. nov.; H. lodicula (Keyserling, 1887), comb. nov. (= Epeira scutigerens Hogg, 1900, syn. nov.); H. megacanthasp. nov.; H. porongurupsp. nov.; H. tatianeaesp. nov.; H. transmarina (Keyserling, 1865), comb. nov.) (also known from Papua New Guinea); H. urbana (Keyserling, 1887), comb. nov.; H. walesiana (Karsch, 1878), comb. nov. (= Epeira rhombocephalaThorell 1881, syn. nov.; = Epeira lutulenta Keyserling, 1886, syn. nov.); and H. yesabahsp. nov. The following species of Hortophoragen. nov. are recognised from the Pacific region but not revised in detail due to a lack of material, specifically mature males: Hortophora capitalis (L. Koch, 1871), comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with H. transmarinacomb. nov.) from Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu; H. flavicoma (Simon, 1880), comb. nov. from New Caledonia (incl. Loyalty Islands) and H. viridis (Keyserling, 1865), comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with H. transmarinacomb. nov.) from Samoa. Epeira thyridota Thorell, 1870 is here removed from synonymy with H. transmarinacomb. nov. and transferred to Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010, B. thyridota (Thorell, 1870), comb. nov.Hortophoragen. nov. includes medium-sized to large, nocturnal orb-weaving spiders typically with subtriangular to ovoid abdomen bearing humeral humps. The tibiae of the second leg in males is usually enlarged with numerous strong spines and an apico-ventral megaspur carrying a large spine in some species. Male pedipalps generally have an elongated, transverse median apophysis ending in a bifid tip in most species, a sinuous to straight embolus and a bubble-shaped terminal apophysis. The female epigyne scape is highly elongated and does not have a terminal pocket. Genital mutilation, i.e. breaking off the epigyne scape during copulation, is common in some species. Hortophoragen. nov. include the most frequently collected nocturnal orb-weaving spiders in Australia.

The orb-weaving spider genusNovakiellaCourt & Forster, 1993 (family Araneidae Clerck, 1757) is reviewed to include two species,N. trituberculosa(Roewer, 1942) (type species, Australia and New Zealand) andN. boletussp. nov.(Australia).Novakiellabelongs to the informal, largely Australian ‘backobourkiine’ clade and shares with the other genera of the clade a single macroseta on the male pedipalp patella and a median apophysis of the male pedipalp that forms an arch over the radix. The proposed genus synapomorphies are the presence of a large basal conductor lobe expanding apically over the radix and the shape of the median apophysis, which extends into a basally directed, pointy projection. Males have an apico-prolateral spur on the tibia of the second leg that carries a distinct spine. Females have an epigyne with triangular base plate bearing transverse ridges and an elongate triangular scape, which is almost always broken off. The humeral humps of the abdomen are distinct.Novakiella trituberculosabuild characteristic dome-shaped webs; however, the foraging behaviour and web-shape ofN. boletussp. nov., currently only known from museum specimens, are not known.

A new Australasian genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described to include seven species:Salsa fuliginata(L. Koch, 1871)comb. nov.(type species; =Epeira rubicundulaKeyserling, 1887)syn. nov.) (Australia, introduced to New Zealand);S. brisbanae(L. Koch, 1867)comb. nov.(Australia);S. canalae(Berland, 1924)comb. nov.(New Caledonia);S. nenebasp. nov.(Papua New Guinea);S. recherchensis(Main, 1954)comb. nov.(Australia);S. ruedasp. nov.(Australia); andS. tartarasp. nov.(Australia; Lord Howe Island endemic).Salsagen. nov.belongs to the Australasian informal backobourkiine clade and differs from other genera of this clade by a distinct abdominal shape (single posterior abdominal tubercle) and ventral colouration (pale lateral spindle-shaped bands), male pedipalp morphology (C-shaped median apophysis that has teeth-like tubercles inside the basal arch) and the shape of the female epigyne scape (partially translucent and generally shorter than the epigyne plate). Based mainly on male pedipalp morphology within the backobourkiines,Salsagen. nov.has closest morphological affinities withAcroaspisKarsch, 1878 andSoccaFramenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022.

A new monotypic Australian genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described, Quokkaraneus gen. nov., with Q. necopinus (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov. as type species. Morphologically the new genus has affinities with the Australasian clade informally termed 'backobourkiines', due to the presence of a single patellar macroseta and the median apophysis forming an arch over the radix in the male pedipalp. It distinctly differs from other genera of this clade by somatic characters, such as a unique white cephalic and/or thoracic area and abdomen. Some genitalic characters are also diagnostic amongst the backobourkiines, such as a C-shaped median apophysis with pointed tip, triangular terminal apophysis and prominent concave conductor in males, and a very broad female epigyne scape. Quokkaraneus necopinus comb. nov. occurs in southern Australia, from western Victoria to south-western Western Australia.

There has never been any published work about the diversity of spiders in the city of Rio de Janeiro using analytical tools to measure diversity. The only available records for spider communities in nearby areas indicate 308 species in the National Park of Tijuca and 159 species in Marapendi Municipal Park. These numbers are based on a rapid survey and on an one-year survey respectively. This study provides a more thorough understanding of how the spider species are distributed at Pedra Branca State Park. We report a total of 14,626 spider specimens recorded from this park, representing 49 families and 373 species or morphospecies, including at least 73 undescribed species. Also, the distribution range of 45 species was expanded, and species accumulation curves estimate that there is a minimum of 388 (Bootstrap) and a maximum of 468 species (Jackknife2) for the sampled areas. These estimates indicates that the spider diversity may be higher than observed.