The spotted orb-weaver Neoscona byzanthina (Pavesi, 1876) – an enigmatic but a common species within the Balkans (Araneae: Araneidae)

Abstract: The spotted orb-weaver spider Neoscona byzantine was described from the south-eastern point of the Balkan Peninsula – the town Istanbul (Constantinople) in Turkey by Pavesi (1876) and herein is reported from Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and North Macedonia for the first time. Its taxonomy, ecology, and general distribution are summarized and discussed.