Deinopis
Genus of spiders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deinopis, also known as net-casting spiders, gladiator spiders and ogre-faced spiders,[2] is a genus of net-casting spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839.[3] Its distribution is widely tropical and subtropical. They catch their prey using a specially spun "net".
| Ogre-faced spiders | |
|---|---|
| |
| Deinopis longipes | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Deinopidae |
| Genus: | Deinopis MacLeay, 1839[1] |
| Type species | |
| D. lamia MacLeay, 1839 | |
| Species | |
|
20, see text | |
Etymology
Net-casting
Spiders in the genus Deinopis catch their prey in an unusual fashion. They first spin a small upright rectangular cribellate web. This is then detached from its supporting threads and held horizontally above the ground by the spider's long front two pairs of legs while the spider hangs almost vertically. Passing prey is then captured by dropping the "net" over it.[2]
Foraging
Deinopis spiders are nocturnal predators, relying on vibrational senses through their (mechanoreception) and fine hair like antenna called (Trichobothria). Their enlarged eyes to find their prey. To capture prey, they use their webs to form a net-like structure which is able to capture both ground and flying prey. With ground prey they spot their prey from a range of 1 to 2 meters then launch themselves at the unsuspecting prey, but with flying prey their ability to locate it comes from the vibrations the flying prey gives off.[4]To aid further in netting prey, the spider places white fecal spots on the surface below the net and uses them for aiming.[5] Spiders also lack ears, but Deinopis species use hairs and receptors (slit sensillae) on their legs to distinguish sounds at a distance of up to 2 meters.[6][7]
Eyes
The two posterior median eyes are enlarged and forward-facing.[8] These eyes have a wide field of view and are able to gather available light more efficiently than the eyes of cats and owls, and are 2000 times more sensitive to light than human photoreceptors.[9] This is despite the fact that they lack a reflective layer (tapetum lucidum); instead, each night, a large area of light-sensitive membrane is manufactured within the eyes, and destroyed at dawn, with the membrane being converted into vesicles which are then lysed in the inter-rhabdomeral cytoplasm.[10]
Species
As of September 2025[update], this genus included twenty species:[1]
- Deinopis amica Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1957 – Argentina, Uruguay
- Deinopis armaticeps Mello-Leitão, 1925 – Brazil
- Deinopis biaculeata Simon, 1906 – Brazil
- Deinopis bituberculata Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba
- Deinopis bucculenta Schenkel, 1953 – Venezuela
- Deinopis cylindracea C. L. Koch, 1846 – Colombia
- Deinopis diabolica Kraus, 1956 – El Salvador
- Deinopis fastigata Simon, 1906 – Brazil
- Deinopis granadensis Keyserling, 1879 – Colombia
- Deinopis guasca Mello-Leitão, 1943 – Brazil
- Deinopis guianensis Taczanowski, 1874 – French Guiana
- Deinopis lamia MacLeay, 1839 – Cuba, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico (type species)
- Deinopis longipes F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – Mexico, Panama
- Deinopis pallida Mello-Leitão, 1939 – Brazil
- Deinopis pardalis Simon, 1906 – Brazil
- Deinopis plurituberculata Mello-Leitão, 1925 – Brazil
- Deinopis rodophthalma Mello-Leitão, 1939 – Brazil
- Deinopis seriata Simon, 1906 – Brazil
- Deinopis spinosa Marx, 1889 – United States, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Venezuela
- Deinopis tuboculata Franganillo, 1926 – Cuba