''Poecilochroa'' 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 ...

ground spiders Ground spiders comprise Gnaphosidae, the seventh largest spider family with over 2,000 described species in over 100 genera distributed worldwide. There are 105 species known to central Europe, and common genera include ''Gnaphosa'', ''Drassodes' ...

that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874.

Description

As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical

spinnerets A spinneret is a silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect. Some adult insects also have spinnerets, such as those borne on the forelegs of Embioptera. Spinnerets are usually on the underside of a spider's opisthosoma, and are ...

. They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, spending the day in silken retreats and going out at night to hunt. ''Poecilochroa'' are divided into two gnaphosid groups based on their abdomen colouration: those with plain abdomens are in the ''Echemus'' group, while those with black and white abdomen are in the ''Herpyllus'' group. Males of both groups have well-developed dorsal scuta.

Habitat

''Poecilochroa'' occur in various habitats including on and under stones and dead leaves, on vegetation, in steppes,

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

, dry fields, stream beds and forest floors.

Species

it contains thirty-nine species and one subspecies: *'' Poecilochroa albomaculata'' (Lucas, 1846) – Western Mediterranean *'' Poecilochroa alcala'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *''

Poecilochroa anomala ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (Hewitt, 1915) – South Africa *'' Poecilochroa antineae'' Fage, 1929 – Mali *'' Poecilochroa barmani'' Tikader, 1982 – India *''

Poecilochroa behni ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Thorell, 1891 – India (Nicobar Is.) *''

Poecilochroa bifasciata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Banks, 1902 – Ecuador (Galapagos Is.) *''

Poecilochroa capensis ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Strand, 1909 – South Africa *''

Poecilochroa carinata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Caporiacco, 1947 – Uganda *''

Poecilochroa dayamibrookiana ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *''

Poecilochroa devendrai ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Gajbe & Rane, 1985 – India *''

Poecilochroa faradjensis ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Lessert, 1929 – Congo *''

Poecilochroa furcata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Simon, 1914 – France, Italy, Greece *''

Poecilochroa golan ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Levy, 1999 – Israel *''

Poecilochroa haplostyla ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of Gnaphosidae, ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical Spinneret, spinnerets. They are Nocturnality, nocturnal, spendi ...

'' Simon, 1907 – São Tomé and Príncipe *'' Poecilochroa incompta'' (Pavesi, 1880) – Tunisia *'' Poecilochroa insularis''

Kulczyński Kulczyński (feminine: Kulczyńska, plural: Kulczyńscy) is a Polish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Stanisław Kulczyński (1895-1975), Polish botanist and politician * Władysław Kulczyński Władysław Kulczyński (27 Marc ...

, 1911 – Indonesia (Java) *'' Poecilochroa involuta'' Tucker, 1923 – South Africa *'' Poecilochroa joreungensis'' Paik, 1992 – Korea *''

Poecilochroa latefasciata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Simon, 1893 – Peru *'' Poecilochroa loricata'' Kritscher, 1996 – Malta *''

Poecilochroa malagassa ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Strand, 1907 – Madagascar *''

Poecilochroa parangunifasciata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' Poecilochroa patricia'' (Simon, 1878) – France (Corsica) *'' Poecilochroa pauciaculeis'' Caporiacco, 1947 – East Africa *''

Poecilochroa perversa ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Simon, 1914 – France *''

Poecilochroa phyllobia ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (Thorell, 1871) – Italy *''

Poecilochroa pugnax ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (

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 ...

, 1874) – Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel *''

Poecilochroa rollini ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Berland, 1933 – French Polynesia (Marquesas Is., Tuamotu) *''

Poecilochroa sedula ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (Simon, 1897) – India *''

Poecilochroa senilis ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) – France (Corsica) to Turkmenistan **'' Poecilochroa s. auspex'' (Simon, 1878) – Spain, France *''

Poecilochroa taborensis ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Levy, 1999 – Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal *''

Poecilochroa taeguensis ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Paik, 1992 – Korea *''

Poecilochroa tikaderi ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' Patel, 1989 – India *'' Poecilochroa tridotus'' Caleb & Mathai, 2013 – India *'' Poecilochroa trifasciata'' Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil *''

Poecilochroa variana ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (C. L. Koch, 1839) (

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 ...

) – Europe to Central Asia *''

Poecilochroa viduata ''Poecilochroa'' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874. Description As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and goi ...

'' (Pavesi, 1883) – Ethiopia *'' Poecilochroa vittata'' Kulczyński, 1911 – Indonesia (Java)

References

Araneomorphae genera Gnaphosidae Spiders of Africa Spiders of Asia Spiders of South America {{Gnaphosidae-stub