Califorctenus Explained

Califorctenus is a genus of spiders in the family Ctenidae. It was first described in 2017 by Jiménez, Berrian, Polotow, and Palacios-Cardiel.^[1], it contains only one species, Califorctenus cacachilensis, also known as the Sierra Cacachilas wandering spider.^{[2] [3]}

Califorctenus cacachilensis

Califorctenus cacachilensis is named after the Sierra de las Cacachilas mountain range in Baja California Sur, where it was first found in an abandoned mine by Michael Wall and Jim Berrian, researchers from the San Diego Natural History Museum, during an expedition on November 4, 2013.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Subsequent collaboration with María Jimenez, an entomologist from Mexico who identified it as a member of the Ctenidae or wandering spider family, confirmed it was a new species and genus. Berrian initially noted shed exoskeletons during the 2013 expedition, and eventually found two dozen spiders, bringing eight back to San Diego for further study.^[7] He received a spider bite during the expedition, which he described as "like being poked by a cactus spine and a little mild pain."

External links

• Web site: Sierra de las Cacachilas Expedition (2013–2016) . . 2016 . San Diego Natural History Museum . 7 April 2017.
• Web site: Wandering Spiders: Family Ctenidae . Berrian, Jim . 2013 . Baja Nature . 7 April 2017 . 19 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170819191835/http://bajanature.com/p736432018/h10bc7f10#h15fbe59e . dead .
• Web site: Wandering Cave Spider, (Ctenidae), n.sp.?, Rancho Canoas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Found so far only in caves and mine shafts. . Berrian, James . 4 November 2013 . flickr . 7 April 2017.

Notes and References

1. 10.11646/zootaxa.4238.1.7 . Jimenez, M. L. . Berrian, J. E. . Polotow, D. . Palacios-Cardiel, C. . 2017 . Description of Califorctenus (Cteninae, Ctenidae, Araneae), a new spider genus from Mexico . Zootaxa . 4238 . 1 . 97–108. 28264270 .
2. Web site: Ctenidae. World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. 2017-03-22.
3. Web site: New species alert: Massive, cave-dwelling spider discovered in Mexico. April 13, 2017. CBS News. April 14, 2017.
4. News: Discovering the secrets of Baja . Brennan, Deborah Sullivan . 26 January 2014 . The San Diego Union-Tribune . 7 April 2017.
5. Web site: Nov 4th, Day 15, Monday: MINE-O-MINE! . Vanderplank, Sula . 4 November 2013 . Phytophilia [Official blog of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas] . 7 April 2017 . Finally we stopped at an abandoned mine and were led down the shaft by the mine manager. There were no plants there in the darkness, but our headlights soon revealed treasures amongst the overwhelming numbers of cockroaches! There was a mouse on her nest and what might be a new species of large cave spider (according to arachnologist Jim Berrian). Going deeper into the mine shaft we found the bats, and bat expert Drew Stokes caught a lesser long-nosed bat. . https://web.archive.org/web/20170407235147/http://blogs.brit.org/2014/02/24/baja2/ . 7 April 2017 . dead .
6. News: Baseball-sized spider discovered in Baja California mine . Robertson, Michelle . 7 April 2017 . San Francisco Chronicle . 7 April 2017.
7. News: Saucer-sized spider discovered in Baja cave . Brennan, Deborah Sullivan . 4 April 2017 . San Diego Union-Tribune . 7 April 2017.