Selenops
Selenops is a spider genus that is found in many arid regions of the world, but some species may also be found in some cooler and even mountainous regions. Most of the 132 species are hard to visually distinguish, and requires study of their finer anatomy.
S. australiensis is found on or under dry bark in Australia. The female reaches 9mm, the male 7mm. It looks superficially like a huntsman spider.
S. radiatus has proved to be an effective controlling agent of the potato tuber moth in South Africa.
Selenops is the first spider known to be able to steer and glide when falling, in order to land in or on a tree, instead of falling to the ground.
Selenops spiders are able to attack prey approaching from all directions. When attacking prey from behind, they show some of the fastest turning movements documented in terrestrial legged animals.
Lifestyle
Selenops are free-living, agile spiders found on rocks, walls and tree trunks. With their very flattened bodies they are able to move into narrow crevices. Different species frequently occur sympatrically but occupy different microhabitats. The egg sac is round, flat, and papery and is attached to stones or bark.Description
Selenops differ from other selenopid genera by the arrangement of the eyes. The anterior median eyes, posterior median eyes and anterior lateral eyes align or are slightly recurved. Leg II is longer than leg IV and tibiae I and II have 2-2-2 ventral spines while metatarsi I-II have 2-2 spines.These are small to large spiders measuring 6-23 mm in total length. The carapace is flattened and subcircular, usually brown to reddish brown with lateral dark bands or spots. The chelicerae are brown to orange, normally with black or grey bands. Labium and sternum are usually paler in colour. The abdomen is flattened, round to oval, clothed in dense setae, normally grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal defined patterns. The venter is yellowish without markings.
Legs have two claws with claw tufts and scopulae. They are laterigrade spiders with anterior legs provided with strong, four to seven pairs of ventral spines on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. Tarsal claws are smooth and leg formulae are normally 4321.
Name
The genus is named after the moon goddess Selene, and Greek -ops "eye", because of the moon-like form of the eyes.Taxonomy
The genus was studied by Lawrence, Benoit and Corronca.Species
, this genus includes 132 species.These species have articles on Wikipedia:Selenops ansieae Corronca, 2002 – South AfricaSelenops brachycephalus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops dilon Corronca, 2002 – South AfricaSelenops feron Corronca, 2002 – Namibia, Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops ilcuria Corronca, 2002 – Cameroon, South AfricaSelenops insularis Keyserling, 1881 – United States, Greater AntillesSelenops intricatus Simon, 1910 – Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, DR Congo, South AfricaSelenops lesnei Lessert, 1936 – Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South AfricaSelenops lobatse Corronca, 2001 – South AfricaSelenops ovambicus Lawrence, 1940 – Senegal, Cameroon, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South AfricaSelenops radiatus Latreille, 1819 – Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East, India, Myanmar, China Selenops rosario Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops submaculosus Bryant, 1940 – United States, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman IslandsSelenops tenebrosus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops tonteldoos Corronca, 2005 – South AfricaSelenops zuluanus Lawrence, 1940 – Botswana, Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops ab Logunov & Jäger, 2015 – China, VietnamSelenops abyssus Muma, 1953 – MexicoSelenops actophilus Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, MexicoSelenops aequalis Franganillo, 1935 – CubaSelenops aissus Walckenaer, 1837 – United States, Bahamas, CubaSelenops alemani Muma, 1953 – CubaSelenops amona Crews, 2011 – Puerto RicoSelenops anacaona Crews, 2018 – Hispaniola Selenops angelae Corronca, 1998 – EcuadorSelenops angolaensis Corronca, 2002 – AngolaSelenops annulatus Simon, 1876 – Cameroon, TanzaniaSelenops ansieae Corronca, 2002 – South AfricaSelenops arikok Crews, 2011 – ArubaSelenops aztecus Valdez-Mondragón, 2010 – MexicoSelenops bani Alayón, 1992 – HispaniolaSelenops banksi Muma, 1953 – Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, BrazilSelenops bastet Zamani & Crews, 2019 – EgyptSelenops baweka Crews, 2011 – Turks and Caicos IslandsSelenops bifurcatus Banks, 1909 – Guatemala, Costa RicaSelenops bocacanadensis Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola Selenops brachycephalus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops bullerengue Crews, Torres & Galvis, 2021 – ColombiaSelenops bursarius Karsch, 1879 – Korea, China, Taiwan, JapanSelenops buscki Muma, 1953 – PanamaSelenops cabagan Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops camerun Corronca, 2001 – CameroonSelenops canasta Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops candidus Muma, 1953 – JamaicaSelenops caney Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops caonabo Crews, 2018 – Hispaniola Selenops chamela Crews, 2011 – MexicoSelenops cocheleti Simon, 1880 – Panama, ArgentinaSelenops comorensis Schmidt & Krause, 1994 – ComorosSelenops crewsae Lin & Li, 2021 – ChinaSelenops cristis Corronca, 2002 – Ghana, NamibiaSelenops curazao Alayón, 2001 – Curaçao, BonaireSelenops curruganja Crews & Galvis, 2021 – ColombiaSelenops debilis Banks, 1898 – United States, MexicoSelenops denia Crews, 2011 – HispaniolaSelenops dilamen Corronca, 2002 – DR CongoSelenops dilon Corronca, 2002 – South AfricaSelenops duan Crews, 2011 – HispaniolaSelenops ducke Corronca, 1996 – BrazilSelenops dufouri Vinson, 1863 – Madagascar, RéunionSelenops ecuadorensis Berland, 1913 – EcuadorSelenops ef Jäger, 2019 – CambodiaSelenops enriquillo Crews, 2011 – Jamaica, HispaniolaSelenops feron Corronca, 2002 – Namibia, Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops florenciae Corronca, 2002 – AngolaSelenops formosus Bryant, 1940 – CubaSelenops geraldinae Corronca, 1996 – Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, BrazilSelenops gracilis Muma, 1953 – MexicoSelenops guerrero Crews, 2011 – HispaniolaSelenops hebraicus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Brazil, Paraguay, ArgentinaSelenops huetocatl Crews, 2011 – MexicoSelenops iberia Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops ilcuria Corronca, 2002 – Cameroon, South AfricaSelenops imias Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops insularis Keyserling, 1881 – United States, Greater AntillesSelenops intricatus Simon, 1910 – Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, DR Congo, South AfricaSelenops isopodus Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia, VenezuelaSelenops ivohibe Corronca, 2005 – MadagascarSelenops ixchel Crews, 2011 – MexicoSelenops jocquei Corronca, 2005 – Ivory CoastSelenops juxtlahuaca Valdez, 2007 – MexicoSelenops kalinago Crews, 2011 – Lesser AntillesSelenops krugeri Lawrence, 1940 – Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops lavillai Corronca, 1996 – Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, BrazilSelenops lepidus Muma, 1953 – MexicoSelenops lesnei Lessert, 1936 – Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South AfricaSelenops levii Corronca, 1997 – BrazilSelenops lindborgi Petrunkevitch, 1926 – CaribbeanSelenops littoricola Strand, 1913 – Central AfricaSelenops lobatse Corronca, 2001 – South AfricaSelenops lucibel Corronca, 2002 – Southern AfricaSelenops lumbo Corronca, 2001 – East AfricaSelenops makimaki Crews, 2011 – MexicoSelenops malinalxochitl Crews, 2011 – MexicoSelenops manzanoae Corronca, 1997 – BrazilSelenops maranhensis Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, ArgentinaSelenops marcanoi Alayón, 1992 – HispaniolaSelenops marginalis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – MexicoSelenops melanurus Mello-Leitão, 1923 – BrazilSelenops mexicanus Keyserling, 1880 – United States, Colombia, GalapagosSelenops micropalpus Muma, 1953 – Lesser Antilles Selenops minutus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico, GuatemalaSelenops morosus Banks, 1898 – MexicoSelenops morro Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola Selenops muehlmannorum Jäger & Praxaysombath, 2011 – LaosSelenops nesophilus Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, MexicoSelenops nigromaculatus Keyserling, 1880 – MexicoSelenops occultus Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil, Paraguay, ArgentinaSelenops oculatus Pocock, 1898 – YemenSelenops ollarius Zhu, Sha & Chen, 1990 – ChinaSelenops onka Corronca, 2005 – Angola, NamibiaSelenops oricuajo Crews, 2011 – Costa RicaSelenops ovambicus Lawrence, 1940 – Senegal, Cameroon, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South AfricaSelenops oviedo Crews, 2011 – HispaniolaSelenops para Corronca, 1996 – BrazilSelenops pensilis Muma, 1953 – Hispaniola Selenops peraltae Corronca, 1997 – BoliviaSelenops petenajtoy Crews, 2011 – GuatemalaSelenops petrunkevitchi Alayón, 2003 – JamaicaSelenops phaselus Muma, 1953 – HispaniolaSelenops pygmaeus Benoit, 1975 – Ivory Coast, CongoSelenops radiatus Latreille, 1819 – Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East, India, Myanmar, China Selenops rapax Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Brazil, ArgentinaSelenops rosario Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops sabulosus Benoit, 1968 – DjiboutiSelenops saldali Corronca, 2002 – Ghana, NigeriaSelenops scitus Muma, 1953 – MexicoSelenops secretus Hirst, 1911 – SeychellesSelenops siboney Alayón, 2005 – CubaSelenops simius Muma, 1953 – Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman IslandsSelenops souliga Crews, 2011 – Lesser Antilles Selenops spixi Perty, 1833 – Brazil, Uruguay, ArgentinaSelenops submaculosus Bryant, 1940 – United States, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Is.Selenops tenebrosus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops tiky Corronca, 1998 – VenezuelaSelenops tomsici Corronca, 1996 – PeruSelenops tonteldoos Corronca, 2005 – South AfricaSelenops trifidus Bryant, 1948 – Caribbean Selenops vigilans Pocock, 1898 – West, Central, East Africa, MadagascarSelenops vinalesi Muma, 1953 – CubaSelenops viron Corronca, 2002 – KenyaSelenops willinki Corronca, 1996 – TrinidadSelenops wilmotorum Crews, 2011 – JamaicaSelenops wilsoni Crews, 2011 – JamaicaSelenops ximenae Corronca, 1997 – BrazilSelenops zairensis Benoit, 1968 – Congo, Ivory Coast, AngolaSelenops zuluanus Lawrence, 1940 – Botswana, Zimbabwe, South AfricaSelenops zumac Corronca, 1996 – Brazil