| Lampshade spiders | |
|---|---|
| Hypochilus pococki in web | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Suborder: | Araneomorphae |
| Superfamily: | Hypochiloidea |
| Family: | Hypochilidae Marx, 1888 |
| Genera | |
|
Ectatosticta |
|
| Diversity | |
| 2 genera, 12 species | |
The Lampshade spiders of the family Hypochilidae are among the most primitive of araneomorph spiders. There are two genera and twelve species currently recognized. Like mygalomorphs, hypochilids have two pairs of book lungs, but like araneomorphs they have intersecting fangs. These long-legged spiders build typical "lampshade" style webs under overhangs and in caves. In the United States the fauna is primarily associated with the Appalachian, Rocky and California Mountains. Ten of the known species are found in these ranges, all in the genus Hypochilus. The genus Ectatosticta is found in China.
The Hypochilidae are a sister clade to the Neocribellatae, which contain all other spider species in the Araneomorphae (Coddington & Levi, 1991, p576).
Contents |
Ectatosticta Simon, 1892 — China
Hypochilus Marx, 1888 — USA