Arachnura

{{Short description| Genus of spiders}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Arachnura.melanura.female.1.-.tanikawa.jpg

| image_caption = A. melanura, female

| image2 = Arachnura.logio.male.-.tanikawa.jpg

| image2_caption = A. logio, male

| taxon = Arachnura

| authority = Vinson, 1863

| type_species = A. scorpionoides

| type_species_authority = Vinson, 1863

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = 12, see text

}}

Arachnura, also known as drag-tailed spider, scorpion-tailed spider and scorpion spider, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders that was first described by A. Vinson in 1863.{{cite book| last=Vinson| first=A.| year=1863| title=Aranéides des îles de la Réunion, Maurice et Madagascar| url=https://archive.org/details/araneidesdesile00vins}} They are distributed across Australasia, Southern and Eastern Asia with one species from Africa. Females can grow up to {{convert|1|to|3|cm}} long, while males reach only {{convert|2|mm}} long. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "arachne-" ({{lang|grc|ἀράχνη}}) and "uro" ({{lang|grc|οὐρά}}), meaning "tail". The tails are only present on females, but unlike the common names suggests, these spiders are unrelated to scorpions. They curl up their tails when disturbed, but they are unable to sting. Bites are rare, and result in minor symptoms such as local pain and swelling.{{cite web| title=Scorpion-tailed Spiders| accessdate=2020-03-16| publisher=The Bug Chicks| url=https://thebugchicks.com/articles/arthropods/scorpion-tailed-spiders}} They stay at the middle of their web day and night, and their bodies mimic plant litter, such as fallen flowers, twigs, or dead leaves.

Arachnura logio is called Kijiro o-hiki-gumo in Japanese. A. feredayi is commonly called Tailed forest spider. A. higginsi is often found in large numbers near water in Australia.