| Afraflacilla | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Subkingdom: | Eumetazoa |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Section: | Dionycha |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Subfamily: | Aelurillinae |
| Genus: | Afraflacilla Berland & Millot, 1941 |
| Type species | |
| Afraflacilla bamakoi Berland & Millot, 1941 |
|
| Species | |
|
see text |
|
| Diversity | |
| 17 species | |
Afraflacilla is a genus of the spider family Salticidae (jumping spiders). Most pecies are distributed in Eastern to Northern Africa (including the Middle East) and Australia, with one species (A. epiblemoides) found in Europe[1].
This genus was for a time included in the genus Pseudicius, and the boundaries between both genera are disputed.
Afraflacilla was first described from Australia in 1993, where they occupy tree trunks in savanna woodland and in open sclerophyll phorests[2].
Contents |
Afraflacilla, Pseudicius, Festucula and Marchena are close relatives and form a monophyletic group[2].
The name is combined from Africa, where most earlier described species were found, and Flacilla Simon, 1901, an obsolete salticid genus now called Flacillula Strand, 1932. This genus name is in turn derived from Aelia Flaccilla, wife of Roman Emperor Theodosius I.