Liphistiidae
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The spider family Liphistiidae comprises 5 genera and 87 species [link]. They are among the most primitive living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae. They are rarely seen burrowing spiders from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan characterized by their downward pointing, daggerlike chelicerae, and by having a segmented series of plates on the upper surface of their abdomens. At least some members of this family, such as the Kimura-gumo, live in comparatively primitive trapdoor shelters.
In caves in Malaysia, [link], three different species of Liphistius are known, and each species is endemic to just one or two caves. The most well known of them is Liphistius batuensis, which is found in Batu Caves.
Genera
- Heptathela Kishida, 1923 (Vietnam, Japan, China)
- Liphistius Schiödte, 1849 (Southeast Asia)
- Nanthela Haupt, 2003 (Hong Kong, Vietnam)
- Ryuthela Haupt, 1983 (Ryukyu Island, Okinawa)
- Songthela Ono, 2000 (China)
See also
References
- Ono, H. (1999) Spiders of the genus Heptathela (Araneae, Liphistiidae) from Vietnam, with notes on their natural history. The Journal of Arachnology 27(1): 37-43. [PDF]
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