Heptathela
| Heptathela | |
|---|---|
| |
| Heptathela kimurai | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Suborder: | Mesothelae |
| Family: | Heptathelidae |
| Genus: | Heptathela Kishida, 1923[1] |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 20 species | |
Heptathela is a genus of spiders that includes the Kimura spider (Heptathela kimurai). They are trapdoor spiders of the family Heptathelidae[2] and are found in Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands.[1] Spiders of this genus lack venom glands.[3]
Females are up to 25 mm long, males slightly smaller. Burrows have an oval shaped door which is hinged across the long diameter.[4]
Name[edit]
The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek hepta "seven", referring to the number of spinneret glands.
Species[edit]
As of January 2022[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:[1]
- Heptathela aha Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela crypta Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela gayozan Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela helios Tanikawa & Miyashita, 2014 (synonym H. yaginumai Ono, 1998) – Japan
- Heptathela higoensis Haupt, 1983 – Japan
- Heptathela kanenoi Ono, 1996 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela kikuyai Ono, 1998 – Japan
- Heptathela kimurai (Kishida, 1920) (type species) – Japan
- Heptathela kojima Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela kubayama Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela mae Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela otoha Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela shuri Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela sumiyo Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela tokashiki Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela uken Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela unten Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
- Heptathela yakushimaensis Ono, 1998 – Japan
- Heptathela yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983 – Okinawa
Many of the species formerly placed in this genus have been transferred to other genera in the family Liphistiidae, including Sinothela, Songthela and Vinathela.[1]
Social reference[edit]
This is the genus of spider referenced by Vincent Price in the introduction to Alice Cooper's The Black Widow on his Welcome to my Nightmare album.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Gen. Heptathela Kishida, 1923". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Family Heptathelidae Kishida, 1923 (genus list)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ Forster, R. R. & Platnick, N. I. (1984). "A review of the archaeid spiders and their relatives, with notes on the limits of the superfamily Palpimanoidea (Arachnida, Araneae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 178: 1–106. hdl:2246/991. Full text at "A review of the archaeid spiders and their relatives" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-10-13. (60 MB)
- ^ Murphy, Frances & Murphy, John (2000). An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Nature Society. ISBN 978-983-9681-17-8.
External links[edit]
Data related to Heptathela at Wikispecies- Pictures of H. kimurai and its burrow
