Mastophora (spider)

''Mastophora'', also known as bolas spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by E. L. Holmberg in 1876. They can be identified by a pair of lumps on the dorsal surface of the opisthosoma, though not all males will have these lumps.

Adult females of the genus snare prey mid-air by using a silk line with an adhesive blob on the end, similar to bolas used by South American gauchos. They feed on flying insects, particularly moths, sometimes releasing pheromones that mimic those of their prey to attract them. Males and juvenile females capture their prey directly with their legs. ''Mastophora'' spiders have extreme sexual size dimorphism: adult females reach 0,75 inches (19 mm), while adult males are smaller than 0,067 inches (1,7 mm). These spiders reach maturity after two instars, or fewer. Cephalothorax often with dorsal protuberances, frequently paired. Female abdomen large, wider than long, an occasion has dorsal humps or lobes. Prey specialization by means of aggressive chemical mimicry.

Species

it contains fifty species:
*'' Mastophora abalosi'' Urtubey & Báez, 1983 – Argentina
*'' Mastophora alachua'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora alvareztoroi'' Ibarra & Jiménez, 2003 – USA, Mexico
*'' Mastophora apalachicola'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora archeri'' Gertsch, 1955 – USA
*'' Mastophora bisaccata'' ( Emerton, 1884) – USA, Mexico
*'' Mastophora brescoviti'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil
*''Mastophora caesariata'' Eberhard & Levi, 2006 – Costa Rica
*''Mastophora carpogaster'' Mello-Leitão, 1925 – Brazil
*''Mastophora catarina'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil
*''Mastophora comma'' Báez & Urtubey, 1985 – Argentina
*''Mastophora conica'' Levi, 2006 – Argentina
*''Mastophora conifera'' (Holmberg, 1876) – Argentina
*''Mastophora cornigera'' ( Hentz, 1850) – USA to Nicaragua
*''Mastophora corpulenta'' ( Banks, 1898) – Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil
*'' Mastophora corumbatai'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora cranion'' Mello-Leitão, 1928 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora diablo'' Levi, 2003 – Argentina
*'' Mastophora dizzydeani'' Eberhard, 1981 – Colombia, Peru
*''Mastophora escomeli'' Levi, 2003 – Peru
*''Mastophora extraordinaria'' Holmberg, 1876 – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
*'' Mastophora fasciata'' Reimoser, 1939 – Costa Rica, Venezuela
*'' Mastophora felda'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora felis'' Piza, 1976 – Brazil
*''Mastophora gasteracanthoides'' (Nicolet, 1849) – Chile
*'' Mastophora haywardi'' Birabén, 1946 – Argentina
*'' Mastophora holmbergi'' Canals, 1931 – Paraguay, Argentina
*'' Mastophora hutchinsoni'' Gertsch, 1955 – USA, Canada
*'' Mastophora lara'' Levi, 2003 – Venezuela
*'' Mastophora leucabulba'' (Gertsch, 1955) – USA to Honduras
*'' Mastophora leucacantha'' ( Simon, 1897) – Brazil
*'' Mastophora longiceps'' Mello-Leitão, 1940 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora melloleitaoi'' Canals, 1931 – Brazil, Argentina
*'' Mastophora obtusa'' Mello-Leitão, 1936 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora pesqueiro'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil
*''Mastophora phrynosoma'' Gertsch, 1955 – USA
*'' Mastophora pickeli'' Mello-Leitão, 1931 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora piras'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil
*'' Mastophora rabida'' Levi, 2003 – Ecuador (Galapagos Is.)
*'' Mastophora reimoseri'' Levi, 2003 – Paraguay
*'' Mastophora satan'' Canals, 1931 – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
*'' Mastophora satsuma'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora seminole'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora soberiana'' Levi, 2003 – Panama
*'' Mastophora stowei'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora timuqua'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora vaquera'' Gertsch, 1955 – Cuba
*'' Mastophora yacare'' Levi, 2003 – Uruguay
*'' Mastophora yeargani'' Levi, 2003 – USA
*'' Mastophora ypiranga'' Levi, 2003 – Brazil

References

Araneidae
Araneomorphae genera
Spiders of North America
Spiders of South America

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