''Triaeris'' 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 goblin spiders erected 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 1890 for the species ''

Triaeris stenaspis ''Triaeris stenaspis'' is a species of spider in the family Oonopidae, with a pantropical distribution. It is also found in Iran and has been introduced into Europe. A very small spider, with a maximum body length of under , it has been shown t ...

''. It was described from females from the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

; specimens were found later in heated

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...

s around Europe. No males of ''T. stenaspis'' have ever been found and the species may be

parthenogenetic Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...

. Its taxonomy is confused, and the number of species that should be placed in the genus is unclear. In 2012,

Norman I. Platnick Norman Ira Platnick (December 30, 1951 – April 8, 2020) was an American biological systematist and arachnologist. At the time of his death, he was a professor emeritus of the Richard Gilder Graduate School and Peter J. Solomon Family Curator Em ...

and co-authors described the genus ''Triaeris'' as "an enigma wrapped around a mystery". They consider that most species assigned to the genus after Simon in 1890 and before 2012 do not belong to ''Triaeris''.

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 ...

accepted the following species. The assignment to groups is based on Platnick et al. (2012). * True species of ''Triaeris'' :*'' Triaeris fako'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Cameroon :*'' Triaeris ibadan'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Nigeria :*'' Triaeris menchum'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Cameroon :*'' Triaeris moca'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Bioko :*'' Triaeris oku'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Cameroon :*''

'' Simon, 1891 (

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

) – Pantropical, Iran; introduced into Europe :*''

Triaeris togo ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Platnick et al., 2012 – Togo * African species that should be placed in other related genera :*'' Triaeris equestris'' Simon, 1907 – Príncipe :*''

Triaeris macrophthalmus ''Triaeris macrophthalmus'' is a species of spider from the family Oonopidae. It was described by Lucien Berland in 1914 and is endemic to Tanzania. In 2012, Norman I. Platnick and co-authors described the genus ''Triaeris'' as "an enigma wrappe ...

'' Berland, 1914 – Kenya * Indian species considered misidentified ("wildly misplaced") :*''

Triaeris barela ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Gajbe, 2004 – India :*''

Triaeris khashiensis ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Tikader, 1966 – India :*''

Triaeris manii ''Triaeris'' is a genus of Oonopidae, goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. ...

'' Tikader & Malhotra, 1974 – India :*''

Triaeris melghaticus ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Bastawade, 2005 – India :*''

Triaeris nagarensis ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Tikader & Malhotra, 1974 – India :*''

Triaeris nagpurensis ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Tikader & Malhotra, 1974 – India :*''

Triaeris poonaensis ''Triaeris'' is a genus of goblin spiders erected by Eugène Simon in 1890 for the species ''Triaeris stenaspis''. It was described from females from the Lesser Antilles; specimens were found later in heated greenhouses around Europe. No males o ...

'' Tikader & Malhotra, 1974 – India

References

Oonopidae Araneomorphae genera Spiders of Africa Spiders of Asia Spiders of the Indian subcontinent {{Oonopidae-stub