Sparassidae

Eusparassus dufouri, copyright Luis Nunes Alberto.

Belongs within: Dionycha.
Contains: Olios, Sparassinae, Heteropoda, Pseudopoda, Thelcticopis.

The Sparassidae, huntsman spiders, are a primarily tropical and subtropical group of sometimes large laterigrade spiders. Female sparassids possess a claw on the end of each palp (absent in the males); in members of the subfamily Heteropodinae, this claw bears long, curved ventral teeth that are shorter and/or uncurved in members of others subfamilies. Members of the subfamily Sparianthinae have the posterior teeth on the chelicerae distinctly smaller than the anterior teeth whereas members of other subfamilies have the anterior and posterior teeth similar in size (Jäger & Kunz 2005).

Characters (from Jocqué & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2007): Medium-sized to very large; eight eyes present in two rows; cheliceral margins with rows of teeth; legs laterigrade, with two tarsal claws, soft trilobate membranes at apex of metatarsi; ecribellate; entelegyne.

<==Sparassidae [Eusparassidae, Heteropodidae, Heteropodoidae, Sparassides] R14
    |--+--Heteropodinae [Heteropodeae] J08
    |  |    |--Heteropoda R14
    |  |    |--Pseudopoda J08
    |  |    |--Yiinthi Davis 1994 J08
    |  |    |--Sinopoda J08
    |  |    |--Bhutaniella J08
    |  |    `--Martensopoda J08
    |  `--+--Polybetes Simon 1896 R14, JR08
    |     |    `--P. pythagoricus R14
    |     `--Eusparassinae [Eusparasseae] M54
    |          |--Cercetius Simon 1902 JK05
    |          |    `--*C. perezi Simon 1902 JK05
    |          `--Eusparassus Simon 1903 R14, JK05
    |               |--*E. dufouri Simon 1932 [=Sparassus dufouri] PL73
    |               `--E. walckenaeri R14
    `--Sparianthinae R14
         |--Thelcticopis J05
         |--Pseudosparianthis Simon 1887 J05
         |--Sparianthis Simon 1880 J05
         |--Pleorotus Simon 1898 J05
         |    `--*P. braueri Simon 1898 JK05
         |--Rhacocnemis Simon 1897 J05
         |    `--*R. guttatus (Blackwall 1877) JK05
         |--Stipax Simon 1898 J05
         |    `--*S. triangulifer Simon 1898 JK05
         |--Thomasettia Hirst 1911 J05
         |    `--*T. seychellana Hirst 1911 JK05
         `--Stasina Simon 1877 JK05
              |--*S. vittata Simon 1877 JK05
              |--S. americana K92
              |--S. manicata Simon 1897 JK05
              |--S. nalandica Karsch 1892 K92
              `--S. paripes [=Themeropis paripes] K92

Sparassidae incertae sedis:
  Olios JR08
  Leucorchestris Lawrence 1962 NHJ08
    |--*L. arenicola Lawrence 1962 [incl. L. kochi Lawrence 1965] NHJ08
    |--L. alexandrina Lawrence 1966 NHJ08
    |--L. sabulosa Lawrence 1966 NHJ08
    |--L. setifrons Lawrence 1966 NHJ08
    `--L. steyni Lawrence 1965 NHJ08
  Typostola magnifica B96
  Holconia [incl. Voconia (preoc.)] J99
    |--‘Voconia’ dolosa R96
    |--H. immanis (Koch 1867) JPV06 [=Isopeda immanis FF99, Voconia immanis R96]
    |--‘Voconia’ insignis R96
    `--H. vasta B96
  Isopeda Koch 1875 PVD10
    |--I. canberrana Hirst 1992 E07
    |--I. leishmani Hogg 1903 [=Isopoda (l. c.) leishmani] E07
    |--I. montana FF99
    |--I. vastata Strand 1907 J98
    `--I. villosa Koch 1875 PVD10
  Neosparassus MC13
    |--N. calligaster [=Olios calligaster] B96
    |--N. diana [=Olios diana] B96
    `--N. punctatus [=Olios punctatus] B96
  Isopedella Hirst 1990 PVD10
    |--I. conspersa (Koch 1875) [incl. Isopeda maculigastra Strand 1907, Isopedella maculigaster] J98
    |--I. pessleri (Thorell 1870) [=Isopeda pessleri] E07
    `--I. victorialis Hirst 1993 PVD10
  Palystella Lawrence 1928 JK05
    |--*P. sexmaculatus JK05
    |--‘Olios’ isongonis Strand 1915 J98
    |--P. namaquensis Lawrence 1938 JK05
    `--P. pallida Lawrence 1938 JK05
  Eodelena melanochelis (Strand 1913) [=Zachria melanochelis] J98
  Midamus Sim. 1880 T94
    `--M. lutescens Thorell 1894 T94
  Origes Simon 1897 JR08
    |--*O. pollens Simon 1897 JR08
    |--O. chloroticus Mello-Leitão 1945 JR08
    `--O. nigrovittatus (Keyserling 1880) [=Sparassus nigrovittatus, Olios nigrovittatus] JR08
  Prusias Pickard-Cambridge 1892 [incl. Ramnes Pickard-Cambridge 1892] JR08
    |--*P. nugalis Pickard-Cambridge 1892 JR08
    |--P. brasiliensis Mello-Leitão 1915 JR08
    |--P. lanceolatus Simon 1897 JR08
    `--P. semotus (Pickard-Cambridge 1892) [=*Ramnes semotus, Heteropoda simoni Bonnet 1957 (n. n.)] JR08
  Tibellomma Simon 1903 JR08
    `--*T. chazaliae (Simon 1898) [=Prusias chazaliae] JR08
  Paenula Simon 1897 JR08
    `--*P. paupercula Simon 1897 JR08
  Adcatomus Karsch 1880 JR08
  Chrosioderma Simon 1897 JR08
    |--*C. albidum Simon 1897 JK05
    `--C. ranomafana Silva-Dávila 2005 JK05
  Dermochrosia Mello-Leitão 1940 JR08
  Sparianthina Banks 1929 JR08
    `--S. selenopoides Banks 1929 JR08
  Remmius Simon 1897 JR08
    |--*R. vultuosus Strand 1907 JK05
    `--R. badius Roewer 1961 JK05
  Quemedice Mello-Leitão 1942 JR08
    |--Q. enigmaticus Mello-Leitão 1942 FM11
    `--Q. piracuruca Rheims, Labarque & Ramírez 2008 FM11
  Anaptomecus Simon 1903 JR08
  Arandisa Lawrence 1938 JK05
    `--*A. deserticola Lawrence 1938 JK05
  Staianus Simon 1889 JK05
    `--*S. acuminatus Simon 1889 JK05
  Carparachne Lawrence 1962 JK05
    |--*C. alba Lawrence 1962 JK05
    `--C. aureoflava Lawrence 1966 JK05
  Cebrennus Simon 1880 JK05
    |--*C. wagae JK05
    `--C. aethiopicus Simon 1880 JK05
  Parapalystes Croeser 1996 JK05
    |--*P. euphorbiae Croeser 1996 JK05
    |--P. cultrifer (Pocock 1900) JK05
    |--P. lycosinus (Pocock 1900) JK05
    `--P. whiteae (Pocock 1902) JK05
  Anchonastus Simon 1898 JK05
    |--*A. caudatus Simon 1898 JK05
    `--A. plumosus (Pocock 1899) JK05
  Barylestis Simon 1910 JK05
    |--*B. blaisei JK05
    |--B. fagei (Lessert 1929) [=Torania fagei] JK05
    |--B. montandoni Lessert 1929 [=Torania montandoni] JK05
    |--B. occidentalis (Simon 1887) [=Torania occidentalis] JK05
    |--B. scutatus (Pocock 1903) [=Torania scutata] JK05
    `--B. variatus (Pocock 1899) [=Torania variata] JK05
  Berlandia Lessert 1921 JK05
    |--*B. longipes Lessert 1921 JK05
    `--B. tenebricola Simon & Fage 1922 JK05
  Cerbalus Simon 1897 JK05
    |--C. ergensis JK05
    `--C. pulcherrimus (Simon 1880) (see below for synonymy) JK05
  Damastes Simon 1880 JK05
    `--*D. grandidieri JK05
  Gnathopalystes Rainbow 1899 JK05
    `--*G. ferox JK05
  Megaloremmius Simon 1903 JK05
    `--*M. leo Simon 1903 JK05
  Microrchestris Lawrence 1962 JK05
    |--*M. melanogaster Lawrence 1962 JK05
    `--M. scutatus Lawrence 1966 JK05
  Nisueta Simon 1880 JK05
    |--*N. quadrispilota Simon 1880 JK05
    `--N. kolosvaryi Caporiacco 1947 JK05
  Nonianus Simon 1885 JK05
    |--*N. pictus JK05
    `--N. unilateralis Strand 1908 J98
  Orchestrella Lawrence 1965 JK05
    `--*O. longipes JK05
  Panaretella Lawrence 1937 JK05
    |--*P. distincta (Pocock 1896) JK05
    |--P. immaculata Lawrence 1952 JK05
    |--P. minor Lawrence 1952 JK05
    |--P. scutata (Pocock 1902) JK05
    `--P. zuluana Lawrence 1937 JK05
  Pseudomicrommata Järvi 1914 JK05
    `--*P. longipes (Bösenberg & Strand 1895) JK05
  Sarotesius Pocock 1898 JK05
    `--*S. melanognathus Pocock 1898 JK05
  Rhitymna JK05
    |--R. hildebrandti Järvi 1914 JK05
    `--R. saccata Järvi 1912 JK05
  Stasinoides Berland 1922 JK05
    `--*S. aethiopica Berland 1922 JK05
  Irileka iridescens Hirst 1998 T13
  Zachria Koch 1875 H95
    |--Z. desiderabilis Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
    |--Z. flavicoma Koch 1875 H95
    |--Z. oblonga H95
    |--Z. peculiata Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
    `--Z. restincta Petrunkevitch 1958 S93
  Pandercetes Koch 1875 PVD10
    |--P. isopus S10
    `--P. peronianus (Walckenaer 1837) PVD10
  Adulatrix S93
    |--A. decumana (Koch & Berendt 1854) S93
    |--A. fusca Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
    |--A. parva Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
    `--A. rufa Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
  Caduceator S93
    |--C. minutus Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
    `--C. quadrimaculatus Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
  Collacteus captivus Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
  Eostaianus succini Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
  Eostasina aculeata Petrunkevitch 1942 S93
  Eoprychia succini Petrunkevitch 1958 S93
  Sparassinae RJ08
  Deleninae [Deleneae] J05
    |--Delena Walckenaer 1837 PVD10
    |    `--D. cancerides Walckenaer 1837 PVD10
    `--Pediana Simon 1880 [=Polydamna Thorell 1881] H89
         |--*P. regina (Koch 1875) [=Heteropoda regina, *Polydamna regina, Polydora (l. c.) regina] H89
         |--‘Polydamna’ aurichelis Strand 1907 H89
         |--P. horni (Hogg 1896) [=Isopeda horni] H89
         |--P. mainae Hirst 1995 H95
         |--P. occidentalis Hogg 1902 H95
         `--P. tenuis Hogg 1903 H89
  Veterator extinctus Petrunkevitch 1963 P92
  Tentabuna P92

Cerbalus pulcherrimus (Simon 1880) [incl. C. angustifrons Denis 1960, C. sahariensis Jézéquel & Junqua 1966] JK05

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B96] Brunet, B. 1996. Spiderwatch: A Guide to Australian Spiders. Reed New Holland: Sydney.

[E07] Elliott, M. G. 2007. Annotated catalogue of the Pompilidae (Hymenoptera) of Australia. Zootaxa 1428: 1–83.

[FF99] Forster, R., & L. Forster. 1999. Spiders of New Zealand and their World-wide Kin. University of Otago Press: Dunedin (New Zealand).

[FM11] Freire-Jr, G. de B., & P. C. Motta. 2011. Effects of experimental fire regimes on the abundance and diversity of cursorial arachnids of Brazilian savannah (cerrado biome). Journal of Arachnology 39 (2): 263–272.

[H89] Hirst, D. B. 1989. A revision of the genus Pediana Simon (Heteropodidae: Araneae) in Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum 23 (2): 113–126.

[H95] Hirst, D. B. 1995. Further studies on the Australian Heteropodidae (Araneae): a new species of Pediana Simon, and description of the male Zachria flavicoma L. Koch. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 52: 145–149.

[J98] Jäger, P. 1998. Das Typenmaterial der Spinnentiere (Arachnida: Acari, Amblypygi, Araneae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones, Scorpiones, Uropygi) aus dem Museum Wiesbaden. Jahrbuecher des Nassauischen Vereins fuer Naturkunde 119: 81–91.

[J99] Jäger, P. 1999. Sparassidae—the valid scientific name for the huntsman spiders (Arachnida: Araneae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 17: 1–10.

[J05] Jäger, P. 2005. Seramba Thorell 1887 is a synonym of Thelcticopis Karsch 1884 (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae, Sparianthinae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 85 (1): 57–59.

[J08] Jäger, P. 2008. Revision of the huntsman spider genus Heteropoda Latreille 1804: species with exceptional male palpal conformations from southeast Asia and Australia (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 88 (2): 239–310.

[JK05] Jäger, P., & D. Kunz. 2005. An illustrated key to genera of African huntsman spiders (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 85 (2): 163–213.

[JPV06] Jäger, P., B. Pathoumthong & V. Vedel. 2006. First record of the genus Pseudopoda Jäger 2000 in Laos with description of new species (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 86 (2): 219–228.

[JR08] Jäger, P., & C. A. Rheims. 2008. On the genera Origes Simon 1897, Prusias O. Pickard-Cambridge 1892, Tibelloma Simon 1903 and Paenula Simon 1897 from South and Central America (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 88 (1): 29–39.

[K92] Karsch, F. 1892. Arachniden von Ceylon und von Minikoy gesammelt von den Herren Doctoren P. und F. Sarasin. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift 36 (2): 267–310.

[M54] Main, B. Y. 1954. Spiders and Opiliones. In: Willis, J. H. (ed.) The Archipelago of the Recherche pp. 37–53. Australian Geographical Society: Melbourne.

[NHJ08] Nørgaard, T., J. R. Henschel & P. Jäger. 2008. Nomenclatural mating: Leucorchestis kochi Lawrence 1965 is a synonym of Leucorchestis arenicola Lawrence 1962 (Arachnida, Araneae, Sparassidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 88 (1): 41–44.

[PVD10] Paquin, P., C. J. Vink & N. Dupérré. 2010. Spiders of New Zealand: annotated family key and species list. Manaaki Whenua Press: Lincoln (New Zealand).

[PL73] Platnick, N., & H. W. Levi. 1973. On family names of spiders. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 2 (8): 166–167.

[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.

[R96] Rainbow, W. J. 1896. Descriptions of some new Araneidae of New South Wales. No. 6. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 21 (3): 320–344, pls 18–20.

[R14] Ramírez, M. J. 2014. The morphology and phylogeny of dionychan spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 390: 1–374.

[RJ08] Rheims, C. A., & P. Jäger. 2008. Revision of the Neotropical huntsman spider genus Vindullus Simon (Araneae, Sparassidae). Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 221–231.

[S93] Selden, P. A. 1993. Arthropoda (Aglaspidida, Pycnogonida and Chelicerata). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 297–320. Chapman & Hall: London.

[S10] Strand, E. 1910. Spinnentiere aus Neuguinea (Opiliones, Psechridae und Clubionidae) gesammelt von Dr. Schlaginhaufen. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königl. Zoologischen und Anthropologisch-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 13 (5): 1–16.

[T13] Taylor, C. K. 2013. Annotated bibliography for Barrow Island terrestrial invertebrates. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 135–144.

[T94] Thorell, T. 1894. Förteckning öfver Arachnider från Java och närgränsande öar, insamlade af docenten D:r Carl Aurivillius; jemte beskrifingar å några sydasiatiska och sydamerikanska Spindlar. Bihang till K. Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 20 pt 4 (4): 1–63.

Last updated: 22 January 2022.