Hygropoda


Hygropoda is a genus of nursery web spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1894.

Distribution

Spiders in this genus are found in Asia and Africa, with H. lineata reaching Australia.

Life style

These are arboreal diurnal and nocturnal spiders that hunt on small sheet-webs over leaves in forest areas.

Description

Males and females are of similar size, with live specimens appearing green in colour. The carapace profile is flat with a steep clypeus. The eyes are arranged in two rows and are subequal in size, with the anterior lateral eyes being smallest. The eyes of the posterior row are larger than those of the anterior row, and the median ocular quadrangle is narrower anteriorly than posteriorly.
The abdomen is long and slender, tapering towards the back. The legs are very long, with the tarsi of both males and females being curved and pseudosegmented. The trochanters have shallow notches.

Taxonomy

The African species have not been revised.

Species

, this genus includes 26 species and one subspecies:Hygropoda africana Simon, 1898 – Gabon, Sierra LeoneHygropoda albolimbata – Indonesia Hygropoda argentata Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2004 – China, ThailandHygropoda balingkinitanus – PhilippinesHygropoda borbonica – RéunionHygropoda bottrelli – PhilippinesHygropoda campanulata Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2004 – China, ThailandHygropoda celebesiana – Indonesia Hygropoda chandrakantii – IndiaHygropoda dolomedes – Indonesia Hygropoda gracilis – India Hygropoda higenaga – China, Taiwan, JapanHygropoda linearis – MadagascarHygropoda lineata – Indonesia to AustraliaHygropoda longimana – Bangladesh, MalaysiaHygropoda longitarsis – Vietnam, Indonesia