New distributional record of Argiope versicolor (Doleschall, 1859) (Araneae, Araneidae) from Kerala, India

Abstract

The orb-weaving spider Argiope versicolor (Doleschall, 1859), previously recorded from south and southeast Asia, is reported for the first time from Kerala, India. Specimens were collected from Kottayam district using hand collection methods and confirmed through morphological and molecular analyses. This record extends the known distribution of the species and contributes to the documentation of Kerala’s spider fauna. Detailed observations on morphology, habitat, web structure, and stabilimentum pattern are provided. The mitochondrial sequence obtained in this study has been deposited in GenBank (Accession No. PQ721811.1).