''Pasilobus'' 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 ...

of orb-weaver spiders 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 1895.

Species

it contains thirteen species from Asia and Africa: *'' Pasilobus antongilensis'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus bufoninus'' (Simon, 1867) (

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 ...

) – Taiwan, Indonesia (Java, Moluccas) *'' Pasilobus capuroni'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus conohumeralis'' (Hasselt, 1894) – Indonesia (Sumatra, Java) *'' Pasilobus dippenaarae'' Roff & Haddad, 2015 – South Africa *''

Pasilobus hupingensis ''Pasilobus hupingensis'' is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae, found in China and Japan. Females of the genus ''Pasilobus'' construct " spanning-thread webs" with only two sectors, making them appear triangular. Wid ...

'' Yin, Bao & Kim, 2001 – China, Japan *'' Pasilobus insignis''

O. Pickard-Cambridge Octavius Pickard-Cambridge FRS (3 November 1828 – 9 March 1917) was an English clergyman and zoologist. He was a keen arachnologist who described and named more than 900 species of spider. Life and work Pickard-Cambridge was born in Blox ...

, 1908 – West Africa *''

Pasilobus kotigeharus ''Pasilobus'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Species it contains thirteen species from Asia and Africa: *'' Pasilobus antongilensis'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus bufoninus'' (Simon, 186 ...

'' Tikader, 1963 – India *''

Pasilobus laevis ''Pasilobus'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Species it contains thirteen species from Asia and Africa: *'' Pasilobus antongilensis'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus bufoninus'' (Simon, 186 ...

'' Lessert, 1930 – Congo *'' Pasilobus lunatus'' Simon, 1897 – Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi) *'' Pasilobus mammatus''

Pocock Pocock is a surname, and may refer to: *Andrew Pocock (born 1955), British High Commissioner to Nigeria * Barbara Pocock, one of the candidates of the 2022 Australian federal election * Bill Pocock (1884–1959), English footballer * Blair Pocock ...

, 1898 – Solomon Is. *''

Pasilobus mammosus ''Pasilobus'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Species it contains thirteen species from Asia and Africa: *'' Pasilobus antongilensis'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus bufoninus'' (Simon, 186 ...

'' (Pocock, 1900) – West Africa *''

Pasilobus nigrohumeralis ''Pasilobus'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Species it contains thirteen species from Asia and Africa: *'' Pasilobus antongilensis'' Emerit, 2000 – Madagascar *'' Pasilobus bufoninus'' (Simon, 186 ...

'' (Hasselt, 1882) – Indonesia (Sumatra)

Prey capture

Females of the genus ''Pasilobus'' construct "triangular spanning-thread webs". The webs have only two sectors, making them appear triangular. Widely spaced threads with sticky drops span the three radii of these webs. One end is attached in such a way that it readily breaks free. When a prey item is caught on one of these threads, the line parts at this end and the prey hangs from the web until it is hauled up by the spider. Pasilobus web

The prey caught are almost entirely

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s. Normal araneid orb webs are not effective at capturing moths, since their loose scales detach, allowing the moth to escape. Like other genera in the subfamily

Cyrtarachninae Cyrtarachninae is a subfamily of spiders in the family Araneidae (orb-weaver spiders, araneids). The group has been circumscribed in several different ways. It originated as the group Cyrtarachneae, described by Eugène Simon in 1892. The group wa ...

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, ''Pasilobus'' species produce special sticky drops that adhere to moths. Some members of the subfamily have been shown to produce mimics of the sex pheromones that female moths emit to attract males, and it has been speculated that ''Pasilobus'' may do this as well.

References

Araneidae Araneomorphae genera Spiders of Africa Spiders of Asia Taxa named by Eugène Simon {{Araneidae-stub