Cyatholipidae is a family of

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s first described by

Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by far the most prolific spider taxonomist in history, describing over 4, ...

in 1894. Most live in moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

, though several species, including ''

Scharffia rossi ''Scharffia'' is a genus of East African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Most live in moist montane forest, though several species, including '' Sc ...

'', live in dry

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

regions. They occur in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, including

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and one species (''

Pokennips dentipes ''Pokennips'' is a monotypic genus of African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae containing the single species, ''Pokennips dentipes''. It was first described by C. E. Griswold in 2001, and has only been found in South Africa ...

'') in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. Most members of this family hang beneath sheet webs. Fossil species occur in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

aged Bitterfield and Baltic Ambers, suggesting a wider geographic distribution in the past.

Genera

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepts the following genera: *'' Alaranea'' Griswold, 1997 — Madagascar *''

Buibui ''Buibui'' is a genus of African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Most live in moist montane forest, though several species, including '' Scharffia ...

'' Griswold, 2001 — Africa *''

Cyatholipus ''Cyatholipus'' is a genus of African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae, and was first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Originally placed with the ray spiders, it was moved to the Cyatholipidae in 1978. Species it contains six ...

'' Simon, 1894 — South Africa *''

Forstera ''Forstera'' is a genus of small perennial plants in the Stylidiaceae family named in honour of the German naturalists Johann Reinhold Forster and his son, Georg Forster, who had previously described ''Forsteras sister genus, ''Phyllachne'' ju ...

'' Koçak & Kemal, 2008 — Australia *'' Hanea'' Forster, 1988 — New Zealand *''

Ilisoa ''Ilisoa'' is a genus of African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae, and was first described by C. E. Griswold in 1987. it contains only three species, all found in South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South ...

'' Griswold, 1987 — South Africa *''

Isicabu ''Isicabu'' is a genus of African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Most live in moist montane forest, though several species, including '' Scharffia ...

'' Griswold, 1987 — Tanzania, South Africa *'' Kubwa'' Griswold, 2001 — Tanzania *''

Lordhowea ''Lordhowea'' is a generic name that may refer to: * Lordhowea (plant), ''Lordhowea'' (plant), a genus of plants native to Australia and Lord Howe Island * a monotypic genus of spiders with the sole species ''Lordhowea nesiota'', native to Australi ...

'' Griswold, 2001 — Australia *''

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

'' Forster, 1988 — Australia *''

Pembatatu ''Pembatatu'' is a genus of East African araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Most live in moist montane forest, though several species, including '' Sc ...

'' Griswold, 2001 — Kenya, Tanzania *'' Pokennips'' Griswold, 2001 — South Africa *'' Scharffia'' Griswold, 1997 — Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi *'' Teemenaarus'' Davies, 1978 — Australia *'' Tekella'' Urquhart, 1894 — New Zealand *'' Tekellatus'' Wunderlich, 1978 — Australia *''

Tekelloides ''Tekelloides'' is a genus of South Pacific araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae, and was first described by Raymond Robert Forster in 1988. it contains only two species, both found in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ...

'' Forster, 1988 — New Zealand *'' Ubacisi'' Griswold, 2001 — South Africa *'' Ulwembua'' Griswold, 1987 — Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania *''

Umwani ''Umwani'' is a genus of East African Araneomorphae, araneomorph spiders in the family Cyatholipidae, and was first described by C. E. Griswold in 2001. it contains only two species: ''U. anymphos'' and ''U. artigamos''. References

Aran ...

'' Griswold, 2001 — Malawi, Tanzania *'' Uvik'' Griswold, 2001 — Congo, Uganda *'' Vazaha'' Griswold, 1997 — Madagascar *'' Wanzia'' Griswold, 1998 — Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea In addition, 5 fossil genera are known. * †'' Balticolipus'' Wunderlich, 2004 (Bitterfield and Baltic Ambers) * †'' Cyathosuccinus'' Wunderlich, 2004 (Baltic Amber) * †'' Erigolipus'' Wunderlich, 2004 (Baltic Amber) * †'' Spinilipus'' Wunderlich, 1993 (Bitterfield and Baltic Ambers) * †'' Succinilipus'' Wunderlich, 1993 (Bitterfield and Baltic Ambers)

References

Spiders of Africa Spiders of Australia Araneomorphae families {{Araneomorphae-stub

Genera

See also

References