Ero (spider)
Ero is a genus of pirate spiders first described in 1836. They resemble comb-footed spiders due to their globular abdomen, which is higher than it is long.
Description
The upper side of their abdomen bears one or two pairs of conical tubercles and some curved bristle-like hairs. The anterior medial eyes project on small tubercles. Leg 1 is nearly twice as long as leg 4.
Their egg sacs are uniquely shaped elongated globes, about four millimetres in diameter. They are suspended from vegetation on a silken thread, and are made from an inner layer of yellowish brown silk and an outer layer of dark coloured, loosely woven silk, giving it a "woolly" appearance. The sacs are not guarded by the female, so when the juveniles hatch, they have to fend for themselves. Since Ero species are nocturnal, the adults are not often seen and the egg sacks often reveal their presence before specimens are found.
Feeding behaviour
Spiders in this genus are specialised spider killers. They attack potential victims by biting one of its legs and injecting toxins. It quickly retreats as the prey spider becomes paralysed. When its prey is immobile, it feeds by sucking out the victim's body fluids.
Species
, this genus includes 43 species:Ero aphana – Macaronesia, Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran. Introduced to Réunion, Japan, China, Philippines, Australia Ero cachinnans Brignoli, 1978 – BhutanEro cambridgei Kulczyński, 1911 – Canary Islands, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Korea, JapanEro canala Wang, 1990 – ChinaEro canionis Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 – Canada, United StatesEro capensis Simon, 1895 – South Africa, EswatiniEro catharinae Keyserling, 1886 – BrazilEro comorensis Emerit, 1996 – Comoros, SeychellesEro eburnea Thaler, 2004 – Ivory CoastEro felix Thaler & van Harten, 2004 – YemenEro flammeola Simon, 1881 – Canary Islands, Algeria, Portugal to Greece, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, IsraelEro furcata – Azores, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Turkmenistan, JapanEro furuncula Simon, 1909 – VietnamEro galea Wang, 1990 – ChinaEro ganglia Yin & Bao, 2012 – ChinaEro gemelosi Baert & Maelfait, 1984 – GalapagosEro goeldii Keyserling, 1891 – BrazilEro gracilis Keyserling, 1891 – BrazilEro humilithorax Keyserling, 1886 – BrazilEro japonica Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Russia, China, Korea, JapanEro jiafui Yin & Bao, 2012 – ChinaEro kompirensis Strand, 1918 – JapanEro koreana Paik, 1967 – Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Korea, JapanEro laeta Barrientos, 2017 – Portugal, SpainEro lata Keyserling, 1891 – BrazilEro lawrencei Unzicker, 1966 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaEro leonina – Canada, United StatesEro lizae Sherwood, Henrard, Peters, Price, Hall, White, Grignet & Wilkins, 2024 – St. HelenaEro lodingi Archer, 1941 – United StatesEro lokobeana Emerit, 1980 – MadagascarEro madagascariensis Emerit, 1980 – MadagascarEro melanostoma Mello-Leitão, 1929 – BrazilEro mongolica Cai, Wang & Zhang, 2023 – ChinaEro natashae Sherwood, Henrard, Peters, Price, Hall, White, Grignet & Wilkins, 2024 – St. HelenaEro pensacolae Ivie & Barrows, 1935 – United StatesEro quadrituberculata Kulczyński, 1905 – MadeiraEro salittana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesEro septemspinosa Lissner, 2016 – Spain Ero spinifrons Mello-Leitão, 1929 – BrazilEro spinipes – Chile, ArgentinaEro tenebrosa Lissner, 2018 – Canary IslandsEro tuberculata – Europe, Russia, Central Asia, China Ero valida Keyserling, 1891 – Brazil
Taxonomy
Sherwood revised this genus in 2023.