Psechridae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Psechridae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fecenia cylindrata | |
 | |
| Psechrus senoculatus in China | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Psechridae Simon, 1890 |
| Genera | |
| |
| Diversity | |
| 2 genera, 64 species | |
 | |
| blue: reported countries (WSC) | |
Psechridae is a family of araneomorph spiders with about 60 species in two genera.[1][2] These are among the biggest cribellate spiders with body lengths up to 2 centimetres (0.79 in) and funnel webs more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in diameter.[3]
The family belongs to the RTA clade of spiders because they all have a Retrolateral Tibial Apophysis on the male pedipalp. A recent phylogenetic analysis places Psechridae as close relatives of the lynx spiders, wolf spiders, and nursery web spiders.[4]
They feature several characteristics normally found in ecribellate spiders, for example brood care behavior, and a colulus with no apparent function.[5] They have greatly elongated legs, with the last element being very flexible. Female Psechrus carry their egg-sac in the chelicerae, similar to their relatives, the ecribellate Pisauridae. Members of Psechrus construct horizontal webs lace webs, while Fecenia construct pseudo-orbs, similar to orb webs of Orbiculariae spiders in an example of evolutionary convergence.[4][6]
