Tolkienus

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Tolkienus
Tolkienus bellans 39370159.jpg
T. bellans
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Dictynidae
Genus: Tolkienus
Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025 [1]
Type species
Dictyna longispina
Emerton, 1888
Species

5, see text

Tolkienus is a genus of spiders in the family Dictynidae. [2]

Contents

Distribution

Tolkienus is distributed across North America and Eurasia. In North America, the genus occurs in Canada and the US, with T. bellans extending into Mexico. In Eurasia, the genus is found from Eastern Europe to Iran. T. estoc is endemic to Equatorial Guinea in West Africa. [2]

Etymology

The genus is named in honor of J. R. R. Tolkien. [1]

Taxonomy

This genus was erected in 2025 with species formerly in genus Dictyna , and one newly described species from West Africa. [2]

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes five species and one subspecies: [2]

References

  1. 1 2 Montana, K. O.; Cala-Riquelme, F. (2025). "Tailor's drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204: 1–97. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Gen. Tolkienus Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-21.