Heptathela

Genus of trapdoor spiders

Heptathela
Heptathela kimurai
Scientific classification Edit this 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

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek hepta "seven", referring to the number of spinneret glands.

Species

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 Luthela, Songthela and Vinathela.[1]

Social reference

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

  1. ^ a b c d e "Gen. Heptathela Kishida, 1923". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Family Heptathelidae Kishida, 1923 (genus list)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  3. ^ 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)
  4. ^ 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

  • Data related to Heptathela at Wikispecies
  • Pictures of H. kimurai and its burrow
Taxon identifiers
Heptathela