Glossary of spider terms

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This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids.

Contents

Links within the glossary are shown in this style .

Terms

A

The underside and head of a female ecribellate entelegyne spider Spider external anatomy main en.png
The underside and head of a female ecribellate entelegyne spider

B

C

The clypeus of this jumping spider is covered with red scales. Kaldari Habronattus coecatus male 01 cropped.jpg
The clypeus of this jumping spider is covered with red scales.

D

E

Basic arrangement of spider eyes, viewed from above Spider eyes labelled en.svg
Basic arrangement of spider eyes, viewed from above
Arrangement of eyes in most Salticidae, viewed from above Salticidae eyes labelled en.svg
Arrangement of eyes in most Salticidae, viewed from above

F

Larinioides cornutus spider showing folium on abdomen Larinioides cornutus 2006-07-05.jpg
Larinioides cornutus spider showing folium on abdomen

G

H

L

M

O

P

Highly simplified and stylized diagram of the main parts of an inflated palpal bulb, based loosely on Coddington (1990); hardened parts shown darker, membranous parts shown lighter Araneae palpal bulb diagram en.png
Highly simplified and stylized diagram of the main parts of an inflated palpal bulb, based loosely on Coddington (1990); hardened parts shown darker, membranous parts shown lighter
  • Conductor: A part of the palpal bulb that accompanies and supports the embolus [6]
  • Embolus: The final part of the palpal bulb containing the end of the sperm duct, usually thin, sharp-tipped and strongly hardened (sclerotized) [6]
  • Haematodocha (plural haematodochae): A membranous, inflatable part of the palpal bulb [10]
  • Median apophysis: A projection (apophysis) of the palpal bulb, below the conductor
  • Subtegulum: A hardened part of the palpal bulb nearer its base than the tegulum
  • Tegulum: The main hardened part of the palpal bulb

R

Terminology of appendage surfaces Spider surfaces labelled en.svg
Terminology of appendage surfaces

S

Pedipalp and leg of a female spider from the underside; the coxa of the pedipalp is heavily modified to form the maxilla Spider external anatomy appendages en.png
Pedipalp and leg of a female spider from the underside; the coxa of the pedipalp is heavily modified to form the maxilla
  • Coxa (plural coxae): First leg segment, between body and trochanter; the coxa of the pedipalp is heavily modified to form the maxilla or endite
  • Trochanter: Second leg segment, between coxa and femur
  • Femur (plural femora): Third leg segment, between trochanter and patella
  • Patella (plural patellae): Fourth leg segment, between femur and tibia
  • Tibia (plural tibiae): Fifth leg segment, between patella and metatarsus
  • Metatarsus (plural metatarsi; also called basitarsus): Sixth leg segment, between tibia and tarsus; absent in the pedipalp
  • Tarsus (plural tarsi; also called telotarsus): Seventh (last) leg segment, after the metatarsus

T

U

V

Abbreviations

Some abbreviations commonly found in descriptions of spider anatomy include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedipalp</span> Appendage of chelicerate

Pedipalps are the secondary pair of forward appendages among chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") and anterior to the first pair of walking legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider anatomy</span> Physiology of Spiders (order Araneae)

The anatomy of spiders includes many characteristics shared with other arachnids. These characteristics include bodies divided into two tagmata, eight jointed legs, no wings or antennae, the presence of chelicerae and pedipalps, simple eyes, and an exoskeleton, which is periodically shed.

<i>Progradungula otwayensis</i> Species of spider

Progradungula otwayensis, commonly known as the odd-clawed spider, is a species of cribellate spider endemic to the Great Otway National Park of Victoria, Australia. It is one of only two species in the gradungulid genus Progradungula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palpal bulb</span> Part of a pedipalp of a male spider

The two palpal bulbs – also known as palpal organs and genital bulbs – are the copulatory organs of a male spider. They are borne on the last segment of the pedipalps, giving the spider an appearance often described as like wearing boxing gloves. The palpal bulb does not actually produce sperm, being used only to transfer it to the female. Palpal bulbs are only fully developed in adult male spiders and are not completely visible until after the final moult. In the majority of species of spider, the bulbs have complex shapes and are important in identification.

<i>Langona pilosa</i> Species of spider

Langona pilosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langona that lives in Namibia. The male was first described by Wanda Wesołowska in 2006 and the female in 2011. The spider is small with a cephalothorax between 2.2 and 3.1 mm long and a abdomen between 2.1 and 3.5 mm. The female is larger than the male. The spider has a brown carapace that has two white stripes on its back, a large dark patch on its yellowish abdomen, a black eye field and the toothless chelicerae typical of the genus. The male can be distinguished from others in the genus by the existence of tufts around the palpal bulb, after which it is named, and the very long and thin tibial apophysis. The female has copulatory organs that resemble Langelurillus ignorabilis but differ in the design of the seminal ducts.

<i>Langona warchalowskii</i> Species of spider

Langona warchalowskii is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langona that lives in South Africa. It was first described by Wanda Wesołowska in 2007. The spider is large with a carapace between 3 and 4 mm long and a abdomen between 2.4 and 5.8 mm. The male is significantly smaller than the male and has deeper colours. The spider has a black head, dark brown thorax and brown-black abdomen. While all the spiders have two stripes along the carapace, some have one on the abdomen and some and three. The toothless chelicerae is typical of the genus. The male can be distinguished by its copulatory organs, and particularly its short and blunt tibial apophysis. The female also has distinctive copulatory organs, including an epigyne with two small depressions, the rims of which form a shield over the gonopores.

<i>Langona hirsuta</i> Species of spider

Langona hirsuta is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langona that lives in South Africa. It was first described in 2011 by Charles Haddad and Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is large with a carapace between 2 and 3.7 mm long and a abdomen between 1.9 and 4.4 mm long. The female is significantly larger than the male, particularly in the abdomen, which is also wider and a lighter brown. The male has very hairy pedipalps, after which it is named. It has the toothless chelicerae typical of the genus, and a single appendage, or apophysis, on the palpal tibia. The length of the apophysis helps to distinguish it from other spiders in the genus. It lives in semi-arid climates.

Urogelides is a genus of jumping spiders containing one described species, Urogelides daviesae, and other undescribed species. It was first described by Marek Michał Żabka in 2009, and is found in Queensland, Australia.

Hasarinella distincta is a species of jumping spider in the genus Hasarinella that lives in South Africa. The species was first described in 2013 by Charles R. Haddad and Wanda Wesołowska. With a dark brown oval cephalothorax] that is between 3.4 and 3.8 mm long and a brown ovoid abdomen that has a length between 3.7 and 4.5 mm. The male has a marking of three white streaks, one in the middle and two along the edges, on the carapace. The female does not. It is the copulatory organs that enable the species to be differentiated from the related Hasarinella berlandi, particularly the wider seminal ducts in the female and the oval palpal bulb in the male. It lives in both grassland and woodland.

<i>Langona sabulosa</i> Species of spider

Langona sabulosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langona that lives in Namibia. It was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska. The spider is large with a cephalothorax between 2.2 and 4 mm long and a abdomen between 2.2 and 4.5 mm. The female is noticeably larger than the male and has a very different shape to its much larger abdomen, being more heart-shaped than oval. It has the toothless chelicerae typical of the genus. The abdomen has a large leaf-like pattern, which differentiates it from other species in the genus, as can the yellowish-orange colour of the pedipalps on the male. The female has a unique epigyne that led Wesołowska to question where it should be allocated in the subtribe Aelurillina.

<i>Langona tortuosa</i> Species of spider

Langona tortuosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langona that lives in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska, based on a holotype from Caprivi. The spider is large with a cephalothorax between 2.4 and 2.8 mm long and a abdomen between 1.9 and 2.6 mm long. The female is larger than the male. It has the toothless chelicerae typical of the genus. It can be distinguished by its copulatory organs. The male has a hidden embolus that is shorter than that on the related Langona pilosa. The female has long seminal ducts.

Yogetor spiralis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Yogetor that is endemic to Ethiopia. It was first described in 2008 by Wanda Wesołowska and Beata Tomasiewicz. The spider is medium-sized, with a brown cephalothorax between 1.6 and 2.1 mm in length and abdomen between 1.8 and 2.6 mm in length. The species has three distinctive yellow stripes on the thorax and colourless hairs on its black eye field. However, the most distinguishing feature is the design of the copulatory organs. The male has a short thin embolus on a rounded palpal bulb. The female has an epigyne that is large, lightly sclerotized, and shaped like a heart. It has two pockets, two rounded depressions divided by a ridge and very long spiralling seminal ducts ending in small spherical receptacles. The species is named tor the shape of the seminal ducts.

<i>Langelurillus rufus</i> Species of spider

Langelurillus rufus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langelurillus that lives in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. The male was originally described by Roger de Lessert in 1925 and named Langona rufa while male and female samples were named Langelurillus difficilis by Wanda Wesołowska and Anthony Russell-Smith in 2000. The species were combined with the current name in 2012. The spider is small, with a brown carapace that is between 1.9 and 2.0 mm long and an abdomen between 19 and 2.4 mm long. The female can be identified by the orange patches on its carapace. The spider has an abdominal pattern that helps distinguish the species from the related Langelurillus manifestus, which has a brown design on a yellowish abdomen with a brown design while Langelurillus rufus has a yellow design on a brown abdomen.

<i>Langelurillus manifestus</i> Species of spider

Langelurillus manifestus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langelurillus that lives in Tanzania. It was first described in 2000 by Wanda Wesołowska and Anthony Russell-Smith. The spider is small, with a carapace that is between 2.1 and 2.5 mm long and an abdomen between 2.0 and 2.2 mm long. The female carapace is lighter than the male and has a pattern of irregular patches, which may also be found in some examples of the female abdomen. The male abdomen is lighter and has a fawn streak down the middle. The legs are brown, the female having dark rings on its legs. It is similar to other related species, particularly Langelurillus rufus, but can be distinguished by the male's larger size and lighter coloration. The female has an oval epigyne that leads to seminal ducts that are shorter than Langelurillus rufus but longer than Langelurillus squamiger.

<i>Langelurillus quadrimaculatus</i> Species of spider

Langelurillus quadrimaculatus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Langelurillus that lives in Nigeria. It was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Anthony Russell-Smith. The spider is small, with a cephalothorax that is between 1.7 and 2.5 mm long and an abdomen between 2.0 and 2.2 mm long. The female is larger than the male. It can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its abdominal pattern, which is recalled in the species name, that consists of two pairs of rounded yellow patches on a brownish-grey background. The female also has a distinctive internal layout of its seminal ducts within its short and wide epigyne.

Orientattus is a genus of Asian jumping spiders erected by John Caleb in 2020. It is placed in the tribe Plexippini, within the Salticoida clade of Salticinae. In 2018 and 2019, a species found in Sri Lanka and India was placed in the otherwise African genus Schenkelia under the name "Schenkelia aurantia", however, this species differed significantly from the type species of the genus Schenkelia. Three other species, placed in different genera, were found to resemble Schenkelia aurantia, and these were all combined to create the genus, Orientattus.

<i>Stenaelurillus wandae</i> Species of spider

Stenaelurillus wandae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Stenaelurillus that lives in India. It was first described in 2020 by Dmitri Logunov. The spider is medium-sized, with a carapace between 2.95 and 3.35 mm long and an abdomen between 2.8 and 3.5 mm long. The female is larger than the male. The colouration differs between them too, with the male having two white stripes on the carapace while the female has a pattern formed of brown and white scales. The chelicerae, clypeus, legs, pedipalps and spinnerets are generally yellow, although they may be yellow-brown on the male. The spider is distinguished from others in the area by the lack of a pocket in the epigyne of the female and the forked appendage, with different length tines, on the palpal bulb of the male.

Padilla wandae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Padilla that lives in Madagascar. The species was first described in 2020 by Galina Azarkina and Charles Haddad. It is a medium-sized spider, with a brown carapace that is between 1.55 and 1.75 mm long, and a yellow abdomen that has a length of between 1.9 and 2.55 mm. The female is larger than the male. Although generally they have similar overall colouring and a single stripe on the carapace of both sexes, the female has one stripe on the abdomen and the male has two. The male palpal bulb has a hump in the middle and a coiled embolus. The female has an epigyne atrium that is longer than it is wide. The spider is similar to the related Padilla cornuta, but differs in lacking the chelicerae horns of the other species.

Ranops wandae is a species of ant spider in the genus Ranops that lives in Namibia. First described in 2020 by Rudy Jocqué and Arnaud Henrard, the spider is small, measuring between 2.24 and 3.26 mm in length. The male is smaller thamn the female. The carapace is brown, bottle-shaped and has a mottled pattern only on the male. The abdomen is grey, oval and also lacks any pattern on either sex. Most of the remainder of the spider is brown. The most characteristic feature of the genus are the long legs, which can measure up to 9.15 mm (0.360 in) long in the case of the back legs of the female. The legs are also yellow. The male also has a distinctive large curved median apophysis and curved retrolateral tibial apophysis on the palpal bulb which helps identify this species against others in the genus.

<i>Pancorius wesolowskae</i> Species of spider

Pancorius wesolowskae is a species of jumping spider in the genus Pancorius that lives in China. The species was first described in 2020 by Wei-Hang Wang and Cheng Wang. The spider is large, measuring between 6.3 and 7.93 mm in overall length. The carapace is dark brown and the opisthosoma dark grey with a pattern of light and dark. The female is larger than the male but otherwise very similar in colouration. The female spider is similar to Pancorius wangdicus but differs in have slit-shaped copulatory openings compared to the other species. The male has a blunter and shorter retrolateral tibial apophysis than the related Pancorius cadus.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 Saaristo (2010), p. 13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Saaristo (2010), p. 14.
  4. 1 2 Saaristo (2010), pp. 14–15.
  5. Saaristo (2010), pp. 15, 18.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Saaristo (2010), p. 15.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Jocqué & Dippenaar-Schoeman (2007), p. 21.
  8. Foelix (2011), pp. 230–231.
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  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Saaristo (2010), p. 17.
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  16. Smith (1990).
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  19. Coddington, J.A. (1990). "Ontogeny and homology in the male palpus of orb-weaving spiders and their relatives, with comments on phylogeny (Araneoclada: Araneoidea, Deinopoidea)". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 496 (496): 1–52. doi:10.5479/si.00810282.496. Figs 5–8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
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  25. Levy, G. (1984). "The Spider Genera Singa and Hypsosinga (Araneae, Araneidae) in Israel". Zoologica Scripta. 13 (2): 121–133. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.1984.tb00029.x. S2CID   84218389.
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Bibliography