| Euctenizidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Aptostichus sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Clade: | Avicularioidea |
| Family: | Euctenizidae Raven, 1985 |
| Diversity | |
| 7 genera, 83 species | |
The Euctenizidae (formerly Cyrtaucheniidae subfamily Euctenizinae) are a family of mygalomorph spiders. They are now considered to be more closely related to Idiopidae.[ citation needed ]
The name comes from the Greek prefix εὖ- (eu-), meaning "valuable" or "good", which had been thought that the family Ctenizidae possess these traits. [1]
Many, but not all, make wafer-like doors to their burrows, while others build the cork-like doors found commonly in the true[ clarification needed ] trapdoor spiders. The biology of nearly all of the species is poorly known.
The family occurs almost exclusively in the United States and Mexico. Common U.S. genera include Myrmekiaphila , Aptostichus and Promyrmekiaphila .
As of April 2019 [update] , the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera: [2]
The Mygalomorphae, or mygalomorphs, are an infraorder of spiders, and comprise one of three major groups of living spiders with over 3000 species, found on all continents except Antarctica. Many members are known as trapdoor spiders due to them forming trapdoors over their burrows. Other prominent groups include Australian funnel web spiders, and tarantulas, with the latter accounting for around one third of all mygalomorphs.
Ctenizidae is a small family of mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation, and silk. They may be called trapdoor spiders, as are other, similar species, such as those of the families Liphistiidae, Barychelidae, and Cyrtaucheniidae, and some species in the Idiopidae and Nemesiidae. The name comes from the distinctive behavior of the spiders to construct trapdoors, and ambush prey from beneath them.
The wafer trapdoor spiders, family Cyrtaucheniidae, are a widespread family of spiders that lack the thorn-like spines on tarsi and metatarsi I and II found in true trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae).
Nemesiidae, also known as funnel-web trapdoor spiders, is a family of mygalomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1889, and raised to family status in 1985. Before becoming its own family, it was considered part of "Dipluridae".
Myrmekiaphila is a genus of North American mygalomorph trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae, and was first described by G. F. Atkinson in 1886. All described species are endemic to the southeastern United States.
Aptostichus is a genus of North American mygalomorph spiders in the family Euctenizidae, and was first described by Eugène Simon in 1891. They are found predominantly in southern California, United States.
Eucteniza is a genus of trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae containing at least 14 species occurring in Mexico and the southern United States. Species are distinguished by a softened rear portion of the carapace, and males possess large spines on the first two pairs of walking legs that are used to hold females during mating. Like other trapdoor spiders they create burrows with a hinged lid, from which they await passing insects and other arthropods to prey upon. Many species are known from only one or two localities, or from only male specimens. More species are expected to be discovered. Eucteniza is closely related to spiders of the genera Entychides and Neoapachella.
Entychides is a genus of mygalomorph trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae, and was first described by Eugène Simon in 1888. Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, it was moved to the wafer trapdoor spiders in 1985, then to the Euctenizidae in 2012.
Neoapachella is a monotypic genus of North American mygalomorph trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae containing the single species, Neoapachella rothi. It was first described by Jason Bond & B. D. Opell in 2002, and has only been found in Arizona and New Mexico. They are small to medium-sized spiders, reaching about 20.7 mm (0.81 in) in body length. It is named in honor of the Apaches as well as arachnologist Vincent D. Roth.
Apomastus is a genus of North American mygalomorph spiders in the family Euctenizidae, and was first described by Jason Bond & B. D. Opell in 2002. As of May 2019 it contains only two species, both found in the Los Angeles Basin of southern California: A. kristenae and A. schlingeri.
Aptostichus stanfordianus, the Stanford Hills trapdoor spider, is a species of wafer-lid trapdoor spider (Euctenizidae) endemic to California in the United States.
Promyrmekiaphila clathrata is a species of wafer-lid trapdoor spider in the family Euctenizidae that is endemic to the state of California in the United States. Its range is restricted to the central and northern California Coast Ranges, from San Benito County to Glenn County.. Like its sister species, C. winnemem, it can be distinguished from species in similar genera by the dusky chevron pattern on its abdomen. It prefers vegetated, mesic habitats that retain some moisture, where it builds burrows in soil up to 30 cm deep. Like other members of this family, it covers its burrow entrance with a door made of silk and soil.
Aptostichus atomarius, the San Bernardino hills trapdoor spider, is a species of wafer-lid trapdoor spider in the family Euctenizidae. It is found in the United States.
Avicularioidea is a clade of mygalomorph spiders, one of the two main clades into which mygalomorphs are divided. It has been treated at the rank of superfamily.
Anamidae is a family of Australian mygalomorph spiders. It was first described as a tribe by Simon in 1889, then raised to the subfamily Anaminae of the family Nemesiidae, before being raised to a family level by Opatova et al. in 2020.
Bipectina is a clade of avicularioid mygalomorph spiders first proposed by Pablo A. Goloboff in 1993, based on a morphological cladistic analysis. The clade was marked by a number of morphological features, and in particular by the presence of two rows of teeth on the superior tarsal claws of the legs of both sexes, meaning that the claws were bipectinate. The clade was supported by some subsequent analyses, although not all. A major phylogenetic study in 2020 upheld the monophyly of the clade, which contained 19 of the 25 accepted families of the Avicularioidea.
Domiothelina is a clade of avicularioid mygalomorph spiders first proposed by Robert J. Raven in 1985, based on a morphological cladistic analysis. Raven characterized the clade by a number of shared features, including the domed apical segment of the posterior lateral spinnerets. The clade has been supported to some degree by subsequent molecular analyses, although with a somewhat different composition.
Crassitarsae is a clade of avicularioid mygalomorph spiders first proposed by Robert J. Raven in 1985, based on a morphological cladistic analysis. Raven characterized the clade by a number of shared features, including the presence of some scopulae on the tarsi. The clade has been supported to some degree by subsequent molecular analyses, although with a somewhat different composition.
Theraphosoidina is a clade of avicularioid mygalomorph spiders first proposed by Robert J. Raven in 1985, based on a morphological cladistic analysis. Raven included three families: Theraphosidae, Paratropididae and Barychelidae. Subsequent molecular phylogenetic studies upheld the relationship between the Theraphosidae and Barychelidae, but found that Paratropidae fell outside the clade.
Nemesioidina is a clade of avicularioid mygalomorph spiders proposed in 2020, based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis.
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