Praestigia is a genus of sheet weavers that was first described by Alfred Frank Millidge in 1954.
The defining characteristic of Praestigia is a projection issuing from the ocular region in males, which varies in form depending on the species, and bears a cap at its distal end. The cap is composed of a series of interconnected fibers glued to the projection with a waxy substance. The cap itself is easily dislodged and lost, and where it originates from is unclear.
The generic name is a combination of Latin prae, meaning "in front" or "before" and Greek stigios, meaning "an awl," a reference to the above-described projection.
Species
it contains eight species:
- Praestigia duffeyi <small>Millidge, 1954</small> (type) â Europe
- Praestigia eskovi <small>Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008</small> â Russia
- Praestigia groenlandica <small>Holm, 1967</small> â Canada, Greenland
- Praestigia kulczynskii <small>Eskov, 1979</small> â Russia, Japan, Canada
- Praestigia makarovae <small>Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008</small> â Russia
- Praestigia pini <small>(Holm, 1950)</small> â Sweden, Finland, Russia, Mongolia
- Praestigia sibirica <small>Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008</small> â Russia, USA (Alaska)
- Praestigia uralensis <small>Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008</small> â Russia
References