animals invertebrates arthropods Arachnida spiders Kaira new species taxonomy systematics Araneae Araneidae Madre de Dios Bibliography
Adult specimens of Kaira are rarely collected and the females are difficult to separate. The few specimens in collections represent 14 species, all American. Five species are new: Kaira cobimcha from southern Brazil; K. dianae from southeastern Peru; K. erwini from Peru; K. shinguito from northern Peru; K. tulua from Depto. Valle, Colombia. The female of K. hiteae is described and Araneus sexta is transferred to Kaira. Haliger is a new synonym of Kaira, with H. corniferus a synonym of K. altiventer. Kaira obtusa and Wagneriana minutissima are synonyms of K. gibberosa. Doubtful synonyms are Caira capra of K. altiventer, and Macpos monstrosus of K. gibberosa.