Idiops
Idiops is a genus of armored trapdoor spiders that was first described by Josef Anton Maximilian Perty in 1833. It is the type genus of the spurred trapdoor spiders, Idiopidae. Idiops is also the most species-rich genus of the family, and is found at widely separated locations in the Neotropics, Afrotropics, Indomalaya and the Middle East.
Distribution
Species of this genus are found in South America, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.Description
Females live in tubular burrows lined with a thick layer of white silk. These typically have a D-shaped lid that fits into the entrance like a cork, and some burrows have two entrances. The lid may consist of mud, moss or lichen, which is bound below by a thick layer of silk. As in all genera of this family, the anterior lateral eyes are situated near the clypeal margin, far in front of the remaining six eyes, which are arranged in a tight group. The males which are smaller in size, wander about or occasionally live in burrows.Body size ranges from 10 to 35 mm. The carapace is narrower posteriorly. The posterior eye row is procurved, and the median ocular area is widest posteriorly. The cheliceral fang furrows have equal rows of teeth along inner and outer margins. The sternum has only two pairs of sigilla marginally. The legs have coxae without spinules. The chelicerae are narrow, especially in males.
Life style
The burrows of Idiops are usually made in soil free of stones, which is soft during the rainy season but becomes very hard afterwards. The burrows are frequently made in open grassy plains with a gentle slope with low scrubs. The entrances are usually closed with a trapdoor that varies from cork-like to flat. The trapdoor has an outer surface that is well-camouflaged. It could be sand grains firmly stuck together so that it resembles the surface of the surrounding soil, grass tufts, or even dry black lichen.Members of Idiops have been collected on various occasions in areas with high populations of the termite Hodotermes mossambicus. The males are frequently collected from pit traps.
Like other mygalomorphs, they are relatively large and long-lived. Forest clearance and agricultural practices that loosen the soil and enhance erosion, besides soil removal for brick making have been pointed out as serious threats to some Indian species. Species ranges are poorly known – in India for instance, most species are known only from their type localities.
Species
, this genus includes 86 species and one subspecies:Idiops angusticeps – Equatorial GuineaIdiops argus Simon, 1889 – VenezuelaIdiops arnoldi [John John Hewitt (herpetologist)|Hewitt (herpetologist)|Hewitt], 1914 – ZimbabweIdiops aussereri Simon, 1877 – AngolaIdiops bonapartei van Hasselt, 1888 – SurinameIdiops cambridgei Ausserer, 1875 – ColombiaIdiops camelus – BrazilIdiops carajas Fonseca-Ferreira, Zampaulo & Guadanucci, 2017 – BrazilIdiops castaneus Hewitt, 1913 – South AfricaIdiops clarus – Uruguay, ArgentinaIdiops clepsydra Dupérré & Tapia, 2025 – EcuadorIdiops crudeni – South AfricaIdiops curvicalcar Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops curvipes – CameroonIdiops damarensis Hewitt, 1934 – NamibiaIdiops designatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – PakistanIdiops dilatatus Gomes, dos Santos, Almeida, Cipola & de Morais, 2024 – BrazilIdiops duocordibus Fonseca-Ferreira, Guadanucci & Brescovit, 2021 – BrazilIdiops fageli Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops flaveolus – South AfricaIdiops fossor – IndiaIdiops fryi – South AfricaIdiops fulvipes Simon, 1889 – VenezuelaIdiops fuscus Perty, 1833 – Brazil Idiops gerhardti Hewitt, 1913 – South AfricaIdiops germaini Simon, 1892 – BrazilIdiops gracilipes – South AfricaIdiops grandis – South AfricaIdiops gunningi Hewitt, 1913 – South Africa- * I. g. elongatus Hewitt, 1915 – South AfricaIdiops guri Fonseca-Ferreira, Guadanucci & Brescovit, 2021 – BrazilIdiops hamiltoni – South AfricaIdiops harti – Trinidad and TobagoIdiops hepburni – South Africa, LesothoIdiops hirsutipedis Mello-Leitão, 1941 – ArgentinaIdiops hirsutus – South AfricaIdiops kaasensis Mirza, Vaze & Sanap, 2012 – IndiaIdiops kanonganus Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops kaperonis Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops kazibius Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops kentanicus – South AfricaIdiops lusingius Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops madrasensis – IndiaIdiops mafae Lawrence, 1927 – NamibiaIdiops meadei O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 – UgandaIdiops mettupalayam Ganeshkumar & Siliwal, 2013 – IndiaIdiops microps – South AfricaIdiops minguito Ferretti, 2017 – ArgentinaIdiops mocambo Fonseca-Ferreira, Guadanucci & Brescovit, 2021 – BrazilIdiops monticola – South AfricaIdiops monticoloides – South AfricaIdiops mossambicus – Mozambique, South AfricaIdiops munois Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops nigropilosus – South AfricaIdiops nilopolensis Mello-Leitão, 1923 – BrazilIdiops ochreolus – South AfricaIdiops opifex – French GuianaIdiops palapyi Tucker, 1917 – BotswanaIdiops pallidipes Purcell, 1908 – NamibiaIdiops parvus Hewitt, 1915 – South AfricaIdiops petiti – BrazilIdiops piluso Ferretti, Nime & Mattoni, 2017 – ArgentinaIdiops pirassununguensis Fukami & Lucas, 2005 – BrazilIdiops prescotti Schenkel, 1937 – TanzaniaIdiops pretoriae – South AfricaIdiops pulcher Hewitt, 1914 – South AfricaIdiops pulloides Hewitt, 1919 – South AfricaIdiops pullus Tucker, 1917 – South AfricaIdiops pungwensis Purcell, 1904 – South AfricaIdiops rastratus – BrazilIdiops reshma Siliwal, Hippargi, Yadav & Kumar, 2020 – IndiaIdiops rohdei Karsch, 1886 – ParaguayIdiops royi Roewer, 1961 – SenegalIdiops rubrolimbatus Mirza & Sanap, 2012 – IndiaIdiops sally Siliwal, Hippargi, Yadav & Kumar, 2020 – IndiaIdiops schenkeli Lessert, 1938 – DR CongoIdiops sertania Fonseca-Ferreira, Guadanucci & Brescovit, 2021 – BrazilIdiops siolii – BrazilIdiops straeleni Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops striatipes Purcell, 1908 – BotswanaIdiops sylvestris – South AfricaIdiops thorelli O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 – South AfricaIdiops tolengo Ferretti, 2017 – ArgentinaIdiops upembensis Roewer, 1953 – DR CongoIdiops vandami – South AfricaIdiops versicolor – South AfricaIdiops wittei Roewer, 1953 – DR Congo