''Periegops'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 with six eyes instead of the usual eight. It is the only genus in its

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

(Periegopidae) and has three described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. It was long considered to be members of

Sicariidae Sicariidae is a family of six-eyed venomous spiders known for their potentially necrotic bites. The family consists of three genera and about 160 species. Well known spiders in this family include the brown recluse spider and the six-eyed sand ...

or Segestriidae until Raymond Forster elevated them to the family level in 1995.

Taxonomy

''Periegops'' was first described in 1893 by

Eugene Simon Eugene Michael Simon (born 11 June 1992) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Jerome Clarke in the Nickelodeon mystery series ''House of Anubis'' (2011–2013) and Lancel Lannister in the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thro ...

from a specimen of ''P. hirsutus'' (A synonym of ''P. suterii'').Simon, E. (1893a). ''Histoire naturelle das araignées''. Paris 1, 257-488. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.51973

Description

This genus of spider has only six eyes, as opposed to eight, which is typical for spiders. Body length varies from 5.9mm to 10mm depending on species and sex. Carapace is an orange colour and is darker on the anterior side. Abdomen is brown or creamy brown and usually have a chevron pattern. The family can be distinguished by the pattern of eye positions, which are in three clusters of two eyes.

Species

, 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 species: *Periegops Simon, 1893 **'' Periegops australia'' Forster, 1995 — Australia (Queensland) ** '' Periegops keani'' Vink, Dupérré & Malumbres-Olarte, 2013 — New Zealand (North Island) ** '' Periegops suterii'' (Urquhart, 1892) — New Zealand (South Island)

Habitat

''Periegops'' occur in forest habitat, where there are deep leaf litter layers and well drained soil.

Behaviour

No ''Periegops'' species has been observed creating webs for prey capture, but rather has been observed using silk to create drag lines and silk retreats. ''Periegops'' are likely all fast moving, nocturnal hunters. In ''P. suterii'', females have been found with two to three males with them, which may imply that the female has a way of attracting males to them.

References

External links

''Periegops suteri''
(PDF, p16, with picture) * (2014)

version 14.5. ''American Museum of Natural History''. Spiders of Australia Spiders of New Zealand Araneomorphae genera Periegopidae {{Araneomorphae-stub