Velvet spider

The velvet spiders (family Eresidae) are a small group (about 100 species in 10 genera) of almost totally Old World spiders (exception: a few species are known from Brazil). The characteristics of this family of spiders are that they are entelegyne (have a genital plate in the female), eight-eyed araneomorph spiders that build unkempt webs. With the exception of Wajane, they are cribellate (use wooly silk). Some species are nearly eusocial, lacking only a specialized caste system and a queen. They cooperate in brood rearing, unlike almost most other spiders except for some African agelenid spiders in the genus Agelena and a few others.

Wayane is grouped together with Penestomus as the subfamily Penestominae.

Genera

• Eresinae C. L. Koch, 1851

* Adonea Simon, 1873 — Mediterranean

* Dorceus C. L. Koch, 1846 — Africa

* Dresserus Simon, 1876 — Africa

* Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 — Palearctic to Morocco

* Gandanameno Lehtinen, 1967 — Africa

* Paradonea Lawrence, 1968 — Africa

* Seothyra Purcell, 1903 — Africa

* Stegodyphus Simon, 1873 — Africa, Madagascar, Brazil, Eurasia

• Penestominae C. L. Koch, 1851

* Penestomus Simon, 1902 — South Africa

* Wajane Lehtinen, 1967 — South Africa

See also

• List of Eresidae species
• Spider families

References

• (1967): Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with notes on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha. Ann. Zool. Fenn. 4: 199-468.
• (1989): The African species of the subfamily Penestominae (Araneae: Eresidae): with description of two new species. Phytophylactica 21: 131-134.

External links

• Family Eresidae (Velvet Spiders)
• Platnick, N.I. 2005. World Spider Catalog