Praestigia


Praestigia is a genus of sheet weavers that was first described by Alfred Frank Millidge in 1954.
The defining characteristic of Praestigia is a projection issuing from the ocular region in males, which varies in form depending on the species, and bears a cap at its distal end. The cap is composed of a series of interconnected fibers glued to the projection with a waxy substance. The cap itself is easily dislodged and lost, and where it originates from is unclear.
The generic name is a combination of Latin prae, meaning "in front" or "before" and Greek stigios, meaning "an awl," a reference to the above-described projection.

Species

it contains eight species:
  • Praestigia duffeyi Millidge, 1954 – Europe
  • Praestigia eskovi Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008 – Russia
  • Praestigia groenlandica Holm, 1967 – Canada, Greenland
  • Praestigia kulczynskii Eskov, 1979 – Russia, Japan, Canada
  • Praestigia makarovae Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008 – Russia
  • Praestigia pini – Sweden, Finland, Russia, Mongolia
  • Praestigia sibirica Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008 – Russia, USA
  • Praestigia uralensis Marusik, Gnelitsa & Koponen, 2008 – Russia