''Damastes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

n huntsman spiders that was first described by

Eugène Louis Simon Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Sparassidae Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

, though its subfamilial classification remains unclear. The subspecies ''Damastes coquereli affinis'' is a

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

Species

it contains sixteen species, found on the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...

, in

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, and on

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 ...

: *''

Damastes atrignathus In Greek mythology, Procrustes (; Greek: Προκρούστης ''Prokroustes'', "the stretcher ho hammers out the metal), also known as Prokoptas, Damastes (Δαμαστής, "subduer") or Polypemon, was a rogue smith and bandit from Attica ...

'' Strand, 1908 –

*'' Damastes coquereli'' Simon, 1880 – Madagascar *'' Damastes decoratus'' (Simon, 1897) – Madagascar *'' Damastes fasciolatus'' (Simon, 1903) – Madagascar *'' Damastes flavomaculatus'' Simon, 1880 – Madagascar *'' Damastes grandidieri'' Simon, 1880 (

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

) – Madagascar *'' Damastes majungensis'' Strand, 1907 – Madagascar *'' Damastes malagassus'' (Fage, 1926) – Madagascar *'' Damastes malagasus'' ( Karsch, 1881) – Madagascar *'' Damastes masculinus'' Strand, 1908 – Madagascar *'' Damastes nigrichelis'' (Strand, 1907) –

*'' Damastes nossibeensis'' Strand, 1907 – Madagascar *'' Damastes oswaldi'' Lenz, 1891 – Madagascar *'' Damastes pallidus'' (Schenkel, 1937) – Madagascar *'' Damastes sikoranus'' Strand, 1906 – Madagascar *'' Damastes validus'' ( Blackwall, 1877) –

Trapping prey

An unspecified ''Damastes'' species has been observed in the

Sava Region Sava is a region in northern Madagascar. Its capital is Sambava. Until 2009 Sava belonged to Antsiranana Province. The region is situated at the northern part of the east coast of Madagascar. It is bordered by the region Diana to the north, Sofia ...

of northeast

predating on

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

s (

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s, '' Heterixalus andrakata''). The same spider - and others of the same species - also build structures of leaves and silk and hide in the back of them. It is speculated that these are traps for catching these frogs.

References

Sparassidae genera Spiders of Africa {{Sparassidae-stub

Species

Trapping prey

See also

References