Heptathela | |
---|---|
Heptathela kimurai | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Suborder: | Mesothelae |
Family: | Heptathelidae |
Genus: | Heptathela Kishida, 1923 [1] |
Species | |
See text | |
Diversity [1] | |
20 species |
Heptathela is a genus of spiders that includes the Kimura spider (Heptathela kimurai). They are trapdoor spiders of the family Heptathelidae [2] and are found in Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. [1] Spiders of this genus lack venom glands. [3]
Females are up to 25 mm long, males slightly smaller. Burrows have an oval shaped door which is hinged across the long diameter. [4]
The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek hepta "seven", referring to the number of spinneret glands.
As of January 2022 [update] , the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: [1]
Many of the species formerly placed in this genus have been transferred to other genera in the family Liphistiidae, including Sinothela , Songthela and Vinathela . [1]
This is the genus of spider referenced by Vincent Price in the introduction to Alice Cooper's The Black Widow on his Welcome to my Nightmare album.[ citation needed ]
Heptathela kimurai, the Kimura spider, or kimura-gumo, is an Old World spider, found primarily in Japan and named after Arika Kimura, who collected it in 1920. It belongs to the sub-order Mesothelae and can reach up to 3 cm in length. Its burrows are covered by a camouflaged "pill box" flap.
The spider family Liphistiidae, recognized by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869, when broadly circumscribed to include two subfamilies, comprises 8 genera and about 100 species of medium-sized spiders from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. They are among the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae. In Japan, the Kimura spider is well known. In 2022, it was proposed to re-accept the subfamily Heptathelinae as the family Heptathelidae. As of December 2023, this proposal was accepted by the World Spider Catalog. In this circumscription, the family Liphistiidae has only one genus, Liphistius.
Macrothele is a genus of mygalomorph spiders in the family Macrothelidae, and was first described by A. Ausserer in 1871. Most species occur in Asia, from India to Japan, and Java, with five found in Africa, and two in Europe. The name is derived from Ancient Greek μακρός ("makro-"), meaning "big", and θηλή ("thele"), referring to the spinnerets.
Liphistius is a genus of basal trapdoor spiders in the family Liphistiidae. They are found in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
Anelosimus is a cosmopolitan genus of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae), currently containing 74 species. Anelosimus is a key group in the study of sociality and its evolution in spiders. It contains species spanning the spectrum from solitary to highly social (quasisocial), with eight quasisocial species, far more than any other spider genus. Among these is the South American social species Anelosimus eximius, among the best studied social spider species.
Ryuthela is a spider genus in the family Heptathelidae. This genus, as well as their closest relatives, Heptathela, formed when land masses from present-day Japan separated from the rest of Asia, forming islands in the late Miocene. Speciation of Ryuthela and Heptathela also occurred during this time, because of the further separation of islands, causing allopatric speciation.
Songthela is a spider genus in the family Heptathelidae, with species found in China and Vietnam.
Coelotes is a genus of funnel weavers first described by John Blackwall in 1841. A large number of species are found throughout Europe and Asia.
Latouchia is a genus of Asian mygalomorph spiders in the family Halonoproctidae, first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901. Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, it was moved to the Halonoproctidae in 2018.
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.
Falcileptoneta is a genus of East Asian leptonetids that was first described by T. Komatsu in 1970.
Ganthela is a genus of spiders in the family Heptathelidae. It was first described in 2015 by Xu & Kuntner. As of 2017, it contains 7 species, all of them from China.
Qiongthela is a genus of spiders in the family Heptathelidae. As of 2021, it contains 14 species.
Vinathela is a genus of spiders in the family Heptathelidae. It was first described in 2000 by Ono. As of 2017, it contains 7 species. Two species were formerly placed in the genus Nanthela, now submerged into Vinathela.
Sinopesa is a genus of spiders in the family Nemesiidae. It is found in China and on Ryukyu Islands in Japan. It was first described in 1995 by Raven & Schwendinger. As of 2023, it contains 8 Asian species.
Oilinyphia is a genus of Asian dwarf spiders that was first described by H. Ono & H. Saito in 1989.
Massuria is a genus of spiders in the family Thomisidae. It was first described in 1887 by Tamerlan Thorell. As of 2017, it contains 8 Asian species.
Heptathelidae is a family of spiders. It was formerly sunk within the family Liphistiidae, but as of December 2023 was accepted by the World Spider Catalog.