| Liphistius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| undetermined Liphistius species | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Suborder: | Mesothelae |
| Family: | Liphistiidae |
| Genus: | Liphistius Schiødte, 1849 [1] |
| Species | |
67. | |
Liphistius is a genus of basal trapdoor spiders in the family Liphistiidae. They are found in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
The genus Liphistius was erected by Jørgen M. C. Schiødte in 1849. [1] Schiødte spelt the name Lipistius; [2] this was corrected to Liphistius by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869, a change endorsed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1970. [3] Liphistius is from Greek λείπω , lipo ('lack') and ἱστός , histos ('web' in this context). [4]
Female body lengths range from 9 to 29 mm; males are slightly smaller. They live in burrows in earthen banks, on some cave walls, and probably in forests. The burrow is sealed with a thin, circular, woven door, which is disguised with soil and moss. While they spend the day deep inside their burrows, at night they wait just below the door for insects, woodlice, and similar invertebrates that stumble over one of the seven silken threads that radiate from the entrance. With a reluctance to leave their burrows, they push up the door and reach for their prey. [5]
As of September 2022 [update] , the World Spider Catalog accepts 67 species: [1]
Three of the Liphistius species known to exist in Malaysia are endemic to only one or two caves. The most well known is Liphistius batuensis , which is found in Batu Caves. [6] Other species found in Malaysia include Liphistius malayanus , Liphistius murphyorum and Liphistius desultor . The Malaysian trapdoor spiders are protected by local law, though continuous threats come from loss of habitat and collection by exotic pet traders. It is believed that these species are endemic and once an isolated habitat is destroyed, the species may go extinct.[ citation needed ]
The spider family Liphistiidae was first recognized by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869. When narrowly circumscribed, it comprises a single genus Liphistius, native to Southeast Asia; as of April 2024, this was the circumscription accepted by the World Spider Catalog. The family contains the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae. The family has also been circumscribed more broadly to include the family Heptathelidae as a subfamily, Heptathelinae, with the narrowly circumscribed Liphistiidae becoming the subfamily Liphistiinae.
Heptathela is a genus of spiders that includes the Kimura spider. They are trapdoor spiders of the family Heptathelidae and are found in Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. Spiders of this genus lack venom glands.
Ornithoctoninae is a subfamily of tarantulas found in Southeast Asia. It was first erected in 1895 by Reginald Innes Pocock based on the type specimen Ornithoctonus andersoni.
Stenochilidae is a family of southeast Asian araneomorph spiders that produce ecribellate silk. First described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1873, it now contains twelve described species in two genera.
Atypus, also called purseweb spiders, is a genus of atypical tarantulas first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. It occurs in Eurasia, with one species reaching into North Africa. Only three of the described species occur in Europe: A. piceus, A. affinis, and A. muralis. Specimens from the USA formerly known as A. snetsingeri represent an introduced population of A. karschi.
Pacullidae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. It was merged into Tetrablemmidae in 1958, then raised back to family status after a large phylogenetic study in 2017.
Clubiona is a genus of sac spiders that was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804.
Cyclocosmia is a genus of mygalomorph trapdoor spiders in the family Halonoproctidae, first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, when the family split in 2018, this genus was placed with the Halonoproctidae as the type genus. The name is derived from the Greek "kyklos" (κυκλος), meaning "circle", and "kosmeo" (κοσμεω), meaning "to adorn".
Sinopoda is a genus of Asian huntsman spiders that was first described by Peter Jäger in 1999.
Mallinella is a genus of spider in the family Zodariidae.
Conothele is a genus of mygalomorph spiders in the family Halonoproctidae, first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1878. Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, it was moved to the Halonoproctidae in 2018.
Qiongthela is a genus of spiders in the family Heptathelidae. As of 2021, it contains 14 species.
Perania is a genus of Asian araneomorph spiders in the family Pacullidae that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1890. It is considered a senior synonym of Mirania.
