Cryptachaea is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family.[1]

Cryptachaea
Female C. projectivulva
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Cryptachaea
Archer, 1946
Type species
Theridion catapetraeum
Gertsch & Archer, 1942
Species

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Diversity
ca. 90 species[1]
Web of P. projectivulva

Taxonomy

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Many species in this genus used to reside in Achaearanea,[1] which received a major revision in 2008 by Hajime Yoshida.[2] The genus was originally established as a subgenus of Theridion.[1][2]

Distribution

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This is mostly a New World genus, with many species in South America. One species is cosmopolitan, one species occurs in the whole Palearctic, another only in China.[1] C. veruculata was introduced to Europe from New Zealand.

Name

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The genus name is a combination of Achaea, the old name of the genus Achaearanea, and Ancient Greek κρυπτός "hidden". The genus is called Iwama-himegumo zoku in Japanese.[2]

Species

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e World Spider Catalog (2023). "Gen. Cryptachaea Archer, 1946". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Yoshida, Hajime (2008). "A revision of the genus Achaearanea (Araneae: Theridiidae)". Acta Arachnologica. 57 (1): 37–40. doi:10.2476/asjaa.57.37.
  3. ^ a b c Buckup, Erica Helena; Marques, Maria Aparecida L.; Rodrigues, Everton Nei Lopes (2012). "Três novas espécies sul-americanas de Cryptachaea e acréscimos taxonômicos em Achaearanea (Araneae, Theridiidae)" [Three new South American species of Cryptachaea and taxonomic additions in Achaearanea (Araneae, Theridiidae)]. Iheringia. Série Zoologia. 102 (2): 206–211. doi:10.1590/S0073-47212012000200013.
  4. ^ Vink, Cor J.; Dupérré, Nadine; Paquin, Pierre; Fitzgerald, Brian M. & Sirvid, Phil J. (2009). "The cosmopolitan spider Cryptachaea blattea (Urquhart 1886) (Araneae: Theridiidae): Redescription, including COI sequence, and new synonymy". Zootaxa. 2133 (1): 55–63. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2133.1.5.
  5. ^ Smith, Helen M.; Vink, Cor J.; Fitzgerald, Brian M. & Sirvid, Phil J. (2012). "Redescription and generic placement of the spider Cryptachaea gigantipes (Keyserling, 1890) (Araneae: Theridiidae) and notes on related synanthropic species in Australasia" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3507 (1): 38–56. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3507.1.2.