Family DEINOPIDAE C.L. Koch, 1850

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Introduction

These large long-legged spiders hunt nocturally in low vegetation and include two genera, the very large and more widespread Deinopis and the smaller often green-bodied Avella. They construct a beautiful blue rectangular web which they hold in their first two pairs of legs and quickly trap moths flying nearby; the blue colour is imparted by cribellate silk spun by the vestige of a pair of spinnerets. Recently, it has been shown that in construction of frame, radii, non-sticky spiral and sticky spiral, the web is an orb-web with the same patterns of web constructions as other orb-web spiders (Coddington at IX Congress of Arachnology, Panama, 1983).

Diagnosis

Deinopids are recognised by the large ventrally directed carapaceal tubercle on which the anterior lateral eyes are set. The net-casting spiders are medium to large, 3-clawed cribellate spiders with abdomen much longer than wide. Eyes in three rows 4.2.2. PME facing forwards, very large in Deinopis. Embolus long and coiled. Cribellum undivided. Ventral row of macrosetae on tarsi IV. One trichobothrium on metatarsi, none on tarsi.

General References

Coddington, J.A., Kuntner, M. & Opell, B.D. 2012. Systematics of the spider family Deinopidae with a revision of the genus Menneus. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 636: 1-61 [11]

History of changes