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Selenops

Selenops is a spider genus that is found in many arid regions of the world, but some species may also be found in some cooler and even mountainous regions. Most of the 132 species (as of May. 2021) are hard to visually distinguish, and requires study of their finer anatomy.

S. australiensis is found on or under dry bark in Australia. The female reaches 9mm, the male 7mm. It looks superficially like a huntsman spider.

S. radiatus has proved to be an effective controlling agent of the potato tuber moth in South Africa.

Selenops is the first spider known to be able to steer and glide when falling, in order to land in or on a tree, instead of falling to the ground.

Selenops spiders are able to attack prey approaching from all directions. When attacking prey from behind, they show some of the fastest turning movements documented in terrestrial legged animals.

Lifestyle

Selenops are free-living, agile spiders found on rocks, walls and tree trunks. With their very flattened bodies they are able to move into narrow crevices. Different species frequently occur sympatrically but occupy different microhabitats. The egg sac is round, flat, and papery and is attached to stones or bark.

Description

Selenops differ from other selenopid genera by the arrangement of the eyes. The anterior median eyes, posterior median eyes and anterior lateral eyes align or are slightly recurved. Leg II is longer than leg IV and tibiae I and II have 2-2-2 ventral spines while metatarsi I-II have 2-2 spines.

These are small to large spiders measuring 6-23 mm in total length. The carapace is flattened and subcircular, usually brown to reddish brown with lateral dark bands or spots. The chelicerae are brown to orange, normally with black or grey bands. Labium and sternum are usually paler in colour. The abdomen is flattened, round to oval, clothed in dense setae, normally grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal defined patterns. The venter is yellowish without markings.

Legs have two claws with claw tufts and scopulae. They are laterigrade spiders with anterior legs provided with strong, four to seven pairs of ventral spines on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. Tarsal claws are smooth and leg formulae are normally 4321.

Name

The genus is named after the moon goddess Selene, and Greek -ops "eye", because of the moon-like form of the eyes.

Taxonomy

The genus was studied by Lawrence (1940), Benoit (1968) and Corronca (2002, 2005).

Species

, this genus includes 132 species.

These species have articles on Wikipedia:

References

External links