Wafer-lid trapdoor spider explained

The family Cyrtaucheniidae, known as wafer-lid trapdoor spiders,^[1] are a widespread family of Mygalomorphae spiders.

Description

Wafer-lid spiders are generally large and range in color between light brown and black. Their eyes are placed in two rows, either in a rectangular position or with the back row wider apart.^[2] They lack the thorn-like spines on tarsi and metatarsi I and II (the two outermost leg segments) found in true trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae).

Many, but not all, make wafer-like doors to their burrows, while others build the cork-like doors found commonly in the true trapdoor spiders.

Distribution

The family is well represented South America, and Africa. A currently undescribed genus in the western United States may hold an altitude record for the family, being found up to over 11000abbr=offNaNabbr=off. The genus Anemesia is found only in Central Asia, and Cyrtauchenius reaches from Algeria north to Italy, with one species found in the USA. Angka is endemic to the cloud forest of Doi Inthanon, Thailand.

Genera

See main article: List of Cyrtaucheniidae species. The former subfamily Euctenizinae from the US and Mexico were promoted to family rank as Euctenizidae in 2012, and are now considered more closely related to Idiopidae. Further changes to the circumscription of the family were made in 2020., the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:^[3]

• Acontius Karsch, 1879 — Africa, Argentina
• Ancylotrypa Simon, 1889 — Africa
• Anemesia Pocock, 1895 — Asia
• Bolostromoides Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945 — Venezuela
• Bolostromus Ausserer, 1875 — South America, Caribbean, Panama, Uganda
• Cyrtauchenius Thorell, 1869 — Algeria, United States

Genera which have been reclassified to other families include:

• Amblyocarenum Simon, 1892 → Nemesiidae
• Angka Raven & Schwendinger, 1995 → Microstigmatidae
• Homostola Simon, 1892 → Bemmeridae
• Fufius Simon, 1888 → Rhytidicolidae^[4]

See also

• List of Cyrtaucheniidae species
• Spider families

References

• Raven, Robert J. (1985). "The spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 182: 1–180.
• Platnick, Norman I. (2008). "The world spider catalog, version 8.5". American Museum of Natural History.

Notes and References

1. Book: Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie . Field guide to the spiders of South Africa . Penguin Random House South Africa . 2023 . 9781775847984.
2. Raven . Robert J. . 1985 . The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): cladistics and systematics . Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History . American Museum of Natural History . 182 . 125–126. 2246/955 .
3. Web site: Family: Cyrtaucheniidae Simon, 1889. World Spider Catalog. 2020-07-15. Natural History Museum Bern.
4. Montes de Oca . Laura . Indicatti . Rafael P. . Opatova . Vera . Almeida . Marlus . Pérez-Miles . Fernando . Bond . Jason E. . 2022-01-10 . Phylogenomic analysis, reclassification, and evolution of South American nemesioid burrowing mygalomorph spiders . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . en . 168 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107377. 263450448 .