Parasteatoda

Parasteatoda
female P. ryukyu
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Parasteatoda
Archer, 1946
Type species
Theridion tepidariorum
C. L. Koch, 1841
Species

see text

Diversity
c. 40 species
female P. tepidariorum

Parasteatoda is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family.

Description

Most species are mainly grayish brown to blackish brown, but some are bright orange.[1]

Distribution

This is mostly an Old World genus, with many species found in Asia and New Guinea, but reaching into Europe. A single species, P. tepidariorum is found in the New World, but P. tepidariorum australis can also be found in New Guinea, Myanmar and Pakistan.

Taxonomy

Many species in this genus were moved from Achaearanea during a major revision in 2008.[2]

Name

The genus name is combined from Ancient Greek para "beside, near" and the theridiid genus Steatoda. The Japanese name for this genus is O-himogumo zoku ("thread silk spider family").[1]

Species

female P. japonica
male P. japonica
female P. lunata

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Yoshida 2008
  2. Platnick 2009

References

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