Monaeses

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Monaeses
Monaeses paradoxus 308125819 555869532.jpg
female M. paradoxus
Monaeses fuscus 299841388 540208990.jpg
male M. fuscus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Thomisidae
Genus: Monaeses
Thorell, 1869
Type species
Monaeses paradoxus
(Lucas, 1846)
Species

See text

Diversity
28 species

Monaeses is a genus of crab spiders in the family Thomisidae. [1]

Contents

Distribution

Most species are found in Asia and Africa, with a few reaching into Europe and two endemic to Australia. [1]

Description

The genus Monaeses was described by Tamerlan Thorellin 1869 with a wide distribution represented by 28 accepted species worldwide. [2] Nine species are known from Africa and seven from South Africa. [3]

Females are small to medium-sized with males slightly smaller. The body colour ranges from cream to dark brown or grey with a mottled appearance, with the abdomen frequently decorated with white longitudinal lines laterally. [3]

The carapace is elongate and usually has simple, erect setae. There are eight eyes arranged in two rows. The lateral eyes are usually on flat tubercles and the posterior eye row is evenly spaced. [3]

The abdomen is long and slender with sides almost parallel. [4] The caudal part varies from short and not extending beyond the spinnerets to very long and extending beyond the spinnerets. [4] The caudal extension is covered with numerous folds and clothed with long setae, while the remainder of the abdomen dorsally has long setae arranged in rows. [4]

The legs are laterigrade with legs I and II usually longer than III and IV. [4] The anterior legs have series of strong spines on the tibiae and metatarsi. [4]

Life style

Spiders in this genus are free-living plant dwellers. Their long, straw-coloured bodies provide excellent camouflage as they await their prey on grass. They are slow-moving and cling to plants with outstretched legs, with the first two pairs directed forward and the third and fourth pairs directed backwards along the axis of stems. Their robust front legs and potent venom enable them to capture and subdue prey up to twice their own size. [3]

Females attach their egg-sacs to tufts of grass. [3] [5]

Taxonomy

Species in southern Africa were revised by Dippenaar-Schoeman in 1984. [4]

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes 28 species: [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gen. Monaeses Thorell, 1869". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-06.
  2. ↑ Thorell, T. (1869). "On European spiders. Review of the European genera of spiders, preceded by some observations on zoological nomenclature". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. 7 (I, 5): 1–108.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Thomisidae of South Africa. Part 1 A-Mo. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 53. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513274. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S. (1984). "The crab-spiders of southern Africa (Araneae: Thomisidae). 4. The genus Monaeses Thorell, 1869". Phytophylactica. 16: 101–116.
  5. ↑ Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Van den Berg, A. (2010). Spiders of the Kalahari: A Field Guide. Plant Protection Research Institute.
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