Porrhothele
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
Porrhothele is a genus of mygalomorph spiders endemic to New Zealand. They are the only members of the family Porrhothelidae. They were first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892.[1] Originally placed with the curtain web spiders,[1] it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980,[2] they were placed in their own family in 2018.[3]
Members of Porrhothelidae are distinguished from other mygalomorph spiders by the small posterior sigillae and a single row of teeth on the forward-facing margin of the chelicerae. Males have many strong spines on the forward-facing margin of their tibiae.[3]
Taxonomy
The genus Porrhothele was erected by Eugène Simon in 1892 for the species Porrhothele antipodiana. Simon transferred these from Mygale, a genus previously used for many mygalomorph spiders, but is no longer in use. He placed this genus in the subfamily Diplurinae,[1] which later became the family Dipluridae. Raven transferred the genus to Hexathelidae,[2] where it remained until the results of a 2018 molecular phylogenetic study suggested that it belongs in its own family.[3]
The following cladogram shows the possible relationship of Porrhothele to related taxa. Script error: No such module "Clade".
Species
since May 2019[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". it contains five species, all found in New Zealand:[4]
- Porrhothele antipodiana (Walckenaer, 1837) (type) – New Zealand
- Porrhothele blanda Forster, 1968 – New Zealand
- Porrhothele moana Forster, 1968 – New Zealand
- Porrhothele modesta Forster, 1968 – New Zealand
- Porrhothele quadrigyna Forster, 1968 – New Zealand
References
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