Melpomene (spider) explained

Melpomene is a genus of funnel weavers first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1898.^[1] They range from southwestern U.S. (southern Arizona to western Texas) to Panama and can grow up to 7to long. Roth and Brame noted that, with many undescribed species, the genus appears to be a catchall or "wastebasket taxon" for several unrelated species that may represent several genera.^[2]

Species

it contains thirteen species:^[3]

• Melpomene bicavata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) – Mexico
• Melpomene chamela Maya-Morales & Jiménez, 2017 – Mexico
• Melpomene chiricana Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 – Panama
• Melpomene coahuilana (Gertsch & Davis, 1940) – Mexico
• Melpomene elegans O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – Mexico
• Melpomene panamana (Petrunkevitch, 1925) – Panama
• Melpomene penetralis (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) – Costa Rica
• Melpomene plesia Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 – Panama
• Melpomene quadrata (Kraus, 1955) – El Salvador
• Melpomene rita (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941) – USA
• Melpomene singula (Gertsch & Ivie, 1936) – Mexico
• Melpomene solisi Maya-Morales & Jiménez, 2017 – Mexico
• Melpomene transversa (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902) – Mexico

Notes and References

1. Book: Pickard-Cambridge, O.. 1898. Arachnida. Araneida.
2. Roth, V. D. . Brame, P. L. . 1972. Nearctic genera of the spider family Agelenidae (Arachnida, Araneida). American Museum Novitates. 2505. 1–51.
3. Web site: Gen. Melpomene O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898. World Spider Catalog. 2019-05-07. Natural History Museum Bern.