Myrmekiaphila

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Myrmekiaphila
Myrmekiaphila tigris female (01).jpg
Myrmekiaphila tigris
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Euctenizidae
Genus: Myrmekiaphila
Atkinson, 1886 [1]
Type species
M. foliata
Atkinson, 1886
Species

12, see text

Myrmekiaphila is a genus of North American mygalomorph trapdoor spiders in the family Euctenizidae, and was first described by G. F. Atkinson in 1886. [2] All described species are endemic to the southeastern United States.

Contents

Originally placed with the Ctenizidae, it was moved to the wafer trapdoor spiders in 1985, [3] then to the Euctenizidae in 2012. [4] Myrmekiaphila appears as the sister group to all southwestern Euctenizidae with the exception of Apomastus , which in turn is the sister group to all euctenizines. M. flavipes was transferred from Aptostichus in 2007. [5]

Description

The known species of this genus resemble each other in appearance and behavior. The carapace is 2.8 to 8 millimetres (0.11 to 0.31 in) long and 2.25 to 6.81 millimetres (0.089 to 0.268 in) wide. Females are uniformly colored, with some dusky stripes on the dorsum of the abdomen. Colors range from yellowish red to dark reddish brown. The palpal tibia of the males are modified in a way that distinguishes them from other mygalomorph spiders of North America. The first legs in males are modified as mating claspers. [5]

All members live in subterranean, silk-lined burrows covered by a silken-soil trap door. Some species construct side chambers that can be closed off by secondary trap doors, a unique feature among Cyrtaucheniidae. While the related Promyrmekiaphila and Aptostichus also build side chambers, they do not close them with trap doors. [5]

G. F. Atkinson collected his specimens while hunting for ants, often finding them in close proximity to ant nests. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek μύρμηξ ( myrmex ), meaning "ant", and φιλία ( philein ), meaning "to love", referencing their apparent fondness of ant nests. [6]

Species

As of May 2019 it contains twelve species restricted to the southeastern United States, but found in a wide variety of habitats. These range from northern Virginia along the Appalachian Mountains southward through West Virginia, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and northern Georgia into the southeastern plain of Alabama, Mississippi Florida, and the temperate deciduous forest of central Texas with dry climates and relatively high altitudes. [5] [1]

Three species groups are currently recognized. These are only intended to facilitate identification based on the male palp; it is not known if they represent monophyletic taxa. M. flavipes is only known from females and thus not grouped. [5]

Related Research Articles

Ctenizidae species of spider

Ctenizidae is a small family of medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. They may be called trapdoor spiders, as are similar species, such as those of the families Liphistiidae, Barychelidae, Cyrtaucheniidae and some species in Idiopidae and Nemesiidae. In 2018, the family Halonoproctidae was split off from Ctenizidae, leaving only three genera.

Wafer trapdoor spider family of arachnids

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).

<i>Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi</i> species of arachnid

Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi is a species of spider in the family Euctenizidae, described in 2007 by East Carolina University professor of biology Jason E. Bond and Norman I. Platnick, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is named after Canadian rock musician Neil Young.

<i>Aptostichus stephencolberti</i> Species of arachnid

Aptostichus stephencolberti is a species of spider in the family Euctenizidae, named after the American satirist Stephen Colbert. The spider was discovered on the California coastline in 2007.

<i>Aptostichus</i> Genus of spiders

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.

<i>Aptostichus angelinajolieae</i> species of arachnid

Aptostichus angelinajolieae, the Angelina Jolie trapdoor spider, is a species of Euctenizidae, nocturnal arthropods who seize their prey after leaping out of their burrows and inject it with venom. It was described by the Auburn University professor Jason Bond in 2008, who named it after the American actress Angelina Jolie in recognition of her work on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. It was one of only seven described species of Aptostichus until 2012, when it was joined by Bono's Joshua Tree trapdoor spider and 32 other species.

Bono's Joshua Tree trapdoor spider is a morphological species of Euctenizidae spiders, nocturnal arthropods who seize their prey after leaping out of their burrows and inject it with venom. The species was found in Joshua Tree National Park, California, and described by the Auburn University professor Jason Bond in 2012. Only seven species of Aptostichus were known prior to 2012, including the Angelina Jolie trapdoor spider.

<i>Aptostichus barackobamai</i> species of arachnid

Aptostichus barackobamai, the Barack Obama trapdoor spider, is a species of spider in the family Euctenizidae named after the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. The species was first reported by Professor Jason Bond of Auburn University in December 2012 as one of 33 new species of the genus Aptostichus.

Euctenizidae Family of spiders

The Euctenizidae are a family of mygalomorph spiders. They are now considered to be more closely related to Idiopidae.

<i>Eucteniza</i> genus of arachnids

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.

<i>Entychides</i> Genus of spiders

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 Apache Indian Nation 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.

Myrmekiaphila comstocki is a spider in the family Euctenizidae, in the infraorder Mygalomorphae ("mygalomorphs"). The distribution range of Myrmekiaphila comstocki includes the USA and Mexico.

Antrodiaetus pugnax is a species of folding-door spider in the family Antrodiaetidae. It is found in the USA.

<i>Aptostichus stanfordianus</i> species of arachnid

Aptostichus stanfordianus, the Stanford Hills trapdoor spider, is a species of wafer-lid trapdoor spider (Euctenizidae) endemic to California in the United States.

<i>Aptostichus atomarius</i> species of arachnid

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 superfamily of spiders (or sometimes an infraorder)

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2019). "Gen. Myrmekiaphila Atkinson, 1886". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, G. F. (1886). "Descriptions of some new trapdoor spiders; their nests and food habits". Entomologica Americana. 2: 128–137.
  3. ↑ Raven, R. J. (1985). "The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 182: 137.
  4. ↑ Bond, J. E.; et al. (2012). "A reconsideration of the classification of the spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Arachnida: Araneae) based on three nuclear genes and morphology". PLOS One. 7 (6): 10. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038753. PMC   3378619 . PMID   22723885.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bond, Jason E.; Platnick, Norman I. (2007). "A taxonomic review of the trapdoor spider genus Myrmekiaphila (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Cyrtaucheniidae)". American Museum Novitates. 3596: 9. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3596[1:ATROTT]2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/5892.
  6. ↑ Ubick, Darrell; Paquin, Pierre; Cushing, Paula E.; Roth, Vince (2005). Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual. ISBN   0-9771439-0-2.
  7. ↑ Bond, Jason, Chris Hamilton, Nicole Garrison, Charles Ray. 2012. Phylogenetic reconsideration of Myrmekiaphila systematics with a description of the new trapdoor spider species Myrmekiaphila tigris (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Cyrtaucheniidae, Euctenizinae) from Auburn, Alabama. ZooKeys 190 (2012): 95-109.
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