Genus of trapdoor spiders
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
External links
