Dwarf tarantula
{{short description|Spiders of the family Mecicobothriidae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Cretaceous|present}}
| image = Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias en Córdoba (20394365431).jpg
| image_caption = Illustration of Mecicobothrium thorelli
| taxon = Mecicobothriidae
| authority = Holmberg, 1882
}}
Dwarf tarantulas, also known as sheet funnel-web spiders are a type of spider from the family Mecicobothriidae. Dwarf tarantulas are one of several families of the suborder Mygalomorphae; this larger group also includes the true tarantulas.
Description
Dwarf tarantulas, as the name indicates, appear very similar to tarantulas, but are physically much smaller. Many specimens are smaller than 1 cm in length, and the largest in the family are seldom larger than 2 cm. The spiders, like all Mygalomorphae, have downward pointing fangs; dwarf tarantulas also have long spinnerets.
Genera
There is currently only 1 recognized genus in this family:{{citation |title=Family: Mecicobothriidae Holmberg, 1882 (genus list) |work=World Spider Catalog |publisher=Natural History Museum Bern |url=https://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/genlist/53 |access-date=2020-07-16 }}
Mecicobothrium Holmberg, 1882
- Mecicobothrium baccai Lucas et al., 2006 — Brazil
- Mecicobothrium thorelli Holmberg, 1882 — Argentina, Uruguay
Genera moved to other families include:
- Hexura Simon, 1884 → Antrodiaetidae
- Hexurella Gertsch & Platnick, 1979 → Hexurellidae
- Megahexura Kaston, 1972 → Megahexuridae
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
- Costa, F.G. & Pérez-Miles, F. (1998). Behavior, life cycle, and webs of Mecicobothrium thorelli, The Journal of Arachnology 26:317-329 [http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v26_n3/JoA_v26_p317.pdf PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204081246/http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v26_n3/JoA_v26_p317.pdf |date=2012-02-04 }}
- Gertsch, W.G. & Platnick, N.I. (1979). A revision of the spider family Mecicobothriidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae). American Museum Novitates 2687 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5425/1/N2687.pdf PDF (14Mb)] - [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/5425 Abstract]
- {{cite journal|title=First record of the Mecicobothriidae Holmberg from Brazil, with a description of a new species of Mecicobothrium (Aranea, Mygalomorphae)|author1=Lucas, Sylvia Marlene|author2=Indicatti, Rafael Prezzi|author3=Brescovit, Antonio Domingos|author4=Francisco, Rafael Carlo|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1326|pages=45–53|date=2006|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1326.1.5|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01326p053f.pdf}}
{{Refend}}
{{Wikispecies|Mecicobothriidae}}
{{Commons category|Mecicobothriidae}}
{{Araneae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q10630}}
Category:Spiders of South America
Category:Spiders of North America
Category:Taxa named by Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg
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