Wall crab spider

Taxobox
name = Wall crab spiders


image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Selenops sp."
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Araneae
zoosectio = Entelegynae
superfamilia = Selenopioidea
familia = Selenopidae
familia_authority = Simon, 1897
diversity_link = List of Selenopidae species
diversity = 4 genera, 189 species
range_

---

range_map_width = 250px
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Anyphops"
"Garcorops"
"Hovops"
"Selenops"

The wall crab spiders (family "Selenopidae"), a member of a group of families collectively called crab spiders because of their laterigrade (forward-facing) legs. They also move much like crabs. This family consists of about 175 species in four genera, of which "Selenops" is the best known. The family is primarily tropical with the genus "Anyphops" confined to Sub-Saharan Africa and the genus "Hovops" confined to Madagascar. The spiders are very flat and are commonly found on walls or under rocks. They are quite agile and very difficult to capture. In addition their coloring makes them often quite difficult to see. Like almost all Entelegynae, they have eight eyes.

Genera

* "Anyphops" Benoit, 1968 (Africa, Madagascar)
* "Garcorops" Corronca, 2003 (Madagascar, Comoro Islands)
* "Hovops" Benoit, 1968 (Madagascar, Reunion)
* "Selenops" Latreille, 1819 (America, Asia, Africa, Mediterranean)

ee also

* List of Selenopidae species
* Spider families

References

* Bosselaers, J. (2004). A new "Garcorops" species from Madagascar copal (Araneae: Selenopidae). "Zootaxa" 445:1-7 [http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2004f/zt00445.pdf PDF]
* Penney, D., Ono, H. & Selden, P.A. (2005). A new synonymy for the Madagascan copal spider fauna (Araneae, Selenopidae). "J. Afrotrop. Zool." 2:41-44. [http://homepage.mac.com/paulselden/Home/files/Madagascar.pdf PDF]

External links