Glossary of arachnology terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of arachnids.
Terms
Head and body
- Abdomen (or opisthosoma): One of two body segments, towards the posterior end.
- Carapace: The upper (dorsal) portion of the cephalothorax.
- Cephalothorax (or prosoma): One of two body segments, towards the anterior end.
- Chelicera: The appendage that includes the fang. (Sometimes called the jaw.)
- Clypeus: the area of the carapace between the anterior eyes and the anterior edge of the carapace.
- Dorsum: The upper (dorsal) portion of the body or abdomen.
- Sternum: The lower (ventral) portion of the cephalothorax.
- Venter (or ventrum): The lower (ventral) portion of the body or abdomen.
Legs
- Coxa : first leg segment, between body and trochanter.
- Trochanter : second leg segment, between coxa and femur
- Femur : third leg segment, between trochanter and tibia.
- Patella: fourth leg segment, between femur and tibia.
- Tibia : fifth leg segment, between patella and metatarsus.
- Metatarsus (or basitarsus)': sixth leg segment, between tibia and tarsus.
- Tarsus (or telotarsus): seventh (last) leg segment, after the metatarsus.
Pedipalp
- Carpoblem: the principal tibial apophysis on the male pedipalp. (Typically, this is just called the tibial apophysis.)
Markings
Larinioides cornutus spider showing folium on abdomen
- Folium : A broad leaf-like marking along the medial line of the top of the abdomen.
- Heart mark : A narrow marking along the top of the abdomen roughly corresponding to the location of the heart.
Abbreviations
Eyes
- ALE : anterior lateral eyes.
- AME : anterior median eyes.
- PLE : posterior lateral eyes.
- PME : posterior median eyes.
See also
References
- Foelix, Rainer F. (1996). Biology of Spiders (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- Comstock, John Henry (1920) [First published 1912]. The Spider Book. Doubleday, Page & Company.