Panjange
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Panjange | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male Panjange casaroro | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Pholcidae |
| Genus: | Panjange Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1983 |
| Type species | |
| Panjange lanthana Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1983 | |
Panjange is a genus of leaf-dwelling spiders in the family Pholcidae, widely distributed in the islands of Southeast Asia from Borneo and the Philippines to northern Australia. Panjange spiders exhibit some of the most extraordinary morphology among Pholcidae. Males of most species have eye stalks, sometimes with long pointed processes; males of some species have unusually elongated pedipalps, which in spiders function as copulatory organs; and females of some species have external portions of their genitalia strongly folded and extensible. The biological significance of these sexual modifications remain unclear.[1]
The genus Panjange was established in 1983 by biologists Christa L. Deeleman-Reinhold and P. R. Deeleman, to accommodate four new species. The genus derives from the Malay word panjang, meaning long and slender.[2]
Description
Panjange spiders are light yellow in color, with brownish patterning on the body. There are six eyes in two small groups: in males the eyes are situated on two stalks or turret-like structures.[2]
Species and distribution
The 18 species of Panjange are divided into three species groups: the nigrifrons group on Borneo (containing P. bako P. iban, P. nigrifons, and P. sedgwiki); the cavicola group ranging from Sulawesi to northern Australia (comprising P. alba, P. cavicola, P. mirabilis, P. madang, and P. dubia); and the lanthana group in the Philippines, comprising P. bukidnon, P. camiguin, P. casaroro, P. dinagat, P. hamiguitan, P. isarog, P. lanthana, P. malagos, and P. marilog).[1]
