Wafer-lid trapdoor spider
The family Cyrtaucheniidae, known as wafer-lid trapdoor spiders,[3] are a widespread family of Mygalomorphae spiders.
| Wafer-lid trapdoor spider Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Anemesia koponeni | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Clade: | Avicularioidea |
| Family: | Cyrtaucheniidae Simon, 1892[1] |
| Diversity[2] | |
| 6 genera, 93 species | |
 | |
Description
Wafer-lid spiders are generally large and range in color between light brown and black. Their eyes are places in two rows, either in a rectangular position or with the back row wider apart.[4] They lack the thorn-like spines on tarsi and metatarsi I and II (the two outermost leg segments) found in true trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae).
Many, but not all, make wafer-like doors to their burrows, while others build the cork-like doors found commonly in the true trapdoor spiders.
Distribution
The family is well represented South America, and Africa. A currently undescribed genus in the western United States may hold an altitude record for the family, being found up to over 11,000 feet (3,400 meters). The genus Anemesia is found only in Central Asia, and Cyrtauchenius reaches from Algeria north to Italy, with one species found in the USA. Angka is endemic to the cloud forest of Doi Inthanon, Thailand.
Genera
The former subfamily Euctenizinae from the US and Mexico were promoted to family rank as Euctenizidae in 2012, and are now considered more closely related to Idiopidae.[5] Further changes to the circumscription of the family were made in 2020. As of April 2023, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:[5]
- Acontius Karsch, 1879 — Africa, Argentina
- Ancylotrypa Simon, 1889 — Africa
- Anemesia Pocock, 1895 — Asia
- Bolostromoides Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945 — Venezuela
- Bolostromus Ausserer, 1875 — South America, Caribbean, Panama, Uganda
- Cyrtauchenius Thorell, 1869 — Algeria, United States
Genera which have be reclassified to other families include:
- Amblyocarenum Simon, 1892 → Nemesiidae
- Angka Raven & Schwendinger, 1995 → Microstigmatidae
- Homostola Simon, 1892 → Bemmeridae
- Fufius Simon, 1888 → Rhytidicolidae[6]
Footnotes
- "Family: Cyrtaucheniidae Simon, 1889", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2015-11-11
- "Currently valid spider genera and species", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2015-11-11
- Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie (2023). Field guide to the spiders of South Africa. Penguin Random House South Africa. ISBN 9781775847984.
- Raven, Robert J. (1985). "The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. American Museum of Natural History. 182: 125–126.
- "Family: Cyrtaucheniidae Simon, 1889". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
- Montes de Oca, Laura; Indicatti, Rafael P.; Opatova, Vera; Almeida, Marlus; Pérez-Miles, Fernando; Bond, Jason E. (2022-01-10). "Phylogenomic analysis, reclassification, and evolution of South American nemesioid burrowing mygalomorph spiders". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 168. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107377.
References
- Raven, Robert J. (1985). "The spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 182: 1–180.
- Platnick, Norman I. (2008). "The world spider catalog, version 8.5". American Museum of Natural History.
