Araneomorph funnel-web spider

Taxobox
name = Araneomorph funnel Web Spiders


image_width = 100px
image_caption = Araneomorph grass spider
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Araneae
superfamilia = Agelenoidea
familia = Agelenidae
familia_authority = C. L. Koch, 1837
diversity_link = List of Agelenidae species
diversity = 41 genera, 500 species
range_

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range_width = 250px
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text.

The araneomorph funnel-web spiders of the family Agelenidae include the common grass spiders of the genus "Agelenopsis", as well as the purportedly venomous European hobo spider, "Tegenaria agrestis", which has been introduced into the Pacific Northwest of the United States. "Note: The araneomorph funnel-web spider should not to be confused with the funnel-web tarantula and the venomous funnel-web tarantula, both of which are members of the suborder Mygalomorphae. The venomous funnel-web tarantulas include the infamous Sydney funnel-web spider."

The family contains nearly 500 species in over 40 genera worldwide. Among other genera are "Hololena" and "Agelena". The last named genus includes some fascinating semi-social spiders that live in complex communal webs in Africa. The best known of these is probably "Agelena consociata".

Sociality in these spiders has gone so far as communal web-building and sharing; cooperative prey capture and communal rearing of young. Spiders have not, however, taken the final step into the eusociality of the social Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps) because there are no workers or soldiers (no castes) and all females are reproductive.

Genera

* "Agelena" Walckenaer, 1805 — Palearctic, Africa
* "Agelenella" Lehtinen, 1967 — Socotra
* "Agelenopsis" Giebel, 1869 — North America
* "Ageleradix" Xu & Li, 2007 — China
* "Agelescape" Levy, 1996 — Mediterranean
* "Ahua" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Allagelena" Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006 — Eurasia
* "Azerithonica" Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen, 2005 — Azerbaijan
* "Barronopsis" Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941 — Cuba, USA, Bahamas
* "Benoitia" Lehtinen, 1967 — China, Africa, Cyprus, Israel
* "Calilena" Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941 — USA, Mexico
* "Hadites" Keyserling, 1862 — Croatia
* "Histopona" Thorell, 1869 — Europe
* "Hololena" Chamberlin & Gertsch, 1929 — North America
* "Huangyuania" Song & Li, 1990 — China
* "Huka" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Kidugua" Lehtinen, 1967 — Congo
* "Lycosoides" Lucas, 1846 — Mediterranean, Azerbaijan
* "Mahura" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Maimuna" Lehtinen, 1967 — Eastern Mediterranean
* "Malthonica" Simon, 1898 — Mediterranean, Europe to Central Asia, USA to Chile, New Zealand
* "Melpomene" O. P-Cambridge, 1898 — USA to Panama
* "Mistaria" Lehtinen, 1967 — Africa
* "Neoramia" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Neorepukia" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Neotegenaria" Roth, 1967 — Guyana
* "Novalena" Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 — USA to El Salvador
* "Olorunia" Lehtinen, 1967 — Congo
* "Oramia" Forster, 1964 — New Zealand
* "Oramiella" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Orepukia" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Paramyro" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Porotaka" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Pseudotegenaria" Caporiacco, 1934 — Balkans, Libya
* "Rualena" Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 — USA to Guatemala
* "Tararua" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
* "Tegenaria" Latreille, 1804 — worldwide
* "Textrix" Sundevall, 1833 — Europe, Mediterranean, Ethiopia
* "Tikaderia" Lehtinen, 1967 — Himalayas
* "Tortolena" Chamberlin & Ivie, 1941 — Mexico to Costa Rica
* "Tuapoka" Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand

ee also

* List of Agelenidae species
* Spider families

Bibliography

* "How to Know the Spiders" by B. J. Kaston. Dubuque, 1953.
* "Biology of Spiders", by Rainer F. Foelix, second edition, 1996

External links

* [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/AGELENIDAE.html The World Spider Catalog, V8.0]