Oxyopes

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Oxyopes
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Oxyopes salticus female 01.jpg
Oxyopes salticus
Oxyopes heterophthalmus.jpg
Oxyopes heterophthalmus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Oxyopidae
Genus: Oxyopes
Latreille, 1804
Type species
Aranea heterophthalma
Latreille, 1804a
Species

See text

Diversity
~300 species

Oxyopes is a genus of lynx spiders found worldwide. It includes arounds 300 species and is classified under the lynx spider family Oxyopidae. [1] [2]

Contents

Like other lynx spiders, they are easily recognizable by the six larger eyes arranged hexagonally on top of the head (prosoma), with the remaining smaller two eyes in front. They are also characterized by long spine-like bristles (setae) on their legs. [3] They are ambush predators, actively hunting prey by sight. Though they produce and use silk, they do not build webs to capture prey. [4]

The genus was first established in 1804 by the French zoologist Pierre André Latreille. [1] The generic name means "keen-eyed", from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús, "sharp") and ὤψ (ṓps, "eye"). [5]

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes 279 species and five subspecies. [1]

Species with an article on Wikipedia:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Genus Oxyopes". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  2. Muhammad Khalid Mukhtar (2013). "Description of two new species of the genus Oxyopes (Araneae: Oxyopidae) from Punjab, Pakistan" (PDF). Pakistan Journal of Zoology. 45 (6): 1511–1516.
  3. Robert Whyte & Greg Anderson. "OXYOPIDAE Lynx spiders". Arachne.org.au. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  4. J. Kovoor & A. Muñoz-Cuevas (1998). "Structure and function of the silk-gland system in Oxyopidae (Araneae)" (PDF). Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology: 133–141.
  5. "Oxyopidae". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 11 September 2015.