Predatoroonops

Predatoroonops was first published in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History in June 2012. The genus is composed of seventeen new species.{{cite news|url=http://m.estadao.com.br/noticias/vidae,instituto-butantan-identifica-17-novas-especies-de-aranha,912786.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231120645/http://m.estadao.com.br/noticias/vidae,instituto-butantan-identifica-17-novas-especies-de-aranha,912786.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-12-31|title=Instituto Butantan identifica 17 novas espécies de aranha|date=2012-08-07|work=O Estado de S. Paulo|language=Portuguese|author=Dieiro, Bruno|access-date=2013-01-12}} They are unique for the peculiar morphology of the male chelicerae and the lateral anterior borders of the carapace.

Members of the genus (all of which are endemic to Brazil) were discovered by a team of Brazilian scientists as part of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) project on the goblin spider family (Oonopidae).{{cite web|url=http://research.amnh.org/oonopidae/index.php|title=Planetary Biodiversity Inventory: The Spider Family Oonopidae|publisher=American Museum of Natural History|access-date=2013-01-12}} The team consisted of Alexandre B. Bonaldo, Adalberto J. Santos, Ricardo Ott, and Cristina A. Rheims. It was led by the arachnologist Antonio Domingos Brescovit of Instituto Butantan, who has been studying spiders in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest since 2006.{{cite web|url=

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ciencia/1134806-filme-o-predador-inspira-batismo-de-17-especies-de-aranhas-no-pais.shtml|title=Filme 'O Predador' inspira batismo de 17 espécies de aranhas no país|date=2012-08-10|first=Marco|last=Varella|work=Folha de S. Paulo|language=Portuguese|access-date=2013-01-12}} According to Brescovit, the research took two and a half years. Publication was delayed because of the 2010 fire at the Instituto Butantan which destroyed a major part of the institute's specimen collections.{{cite web|url=http://g1.globo.com/natureza/noticia/2012/08/butantan-batiza-17-novas-aranhas-em-homenagem-ao-filme-predador.html|title=Butantan batiza 17 novas aranhas em homenagem ao filme 'Predador'|date=2012-08-08|first=Rafael|last=Sampaio|publisher=G1|language=Portuguese|access-date=2013-01-12}}

Members of Predatoroonops are small, ranging from {{convert|1.8|to|2.1|mm|in|abbr=on}} in size. They are distinguished by the projected and articulated chelicerae of the males, the conspicuous posterior receptacle of the genitalia of the females, and the spines with pronounced bases on the legs of both sexes. They are usually found in the plant litter on the forest floor. Information on diet and behavior is currently unknown, however, given that all the research was done with dead specimens.{{cite news|url=

http://oglobo.globo.com/ciencia/butantan-descobre-17-novas-especies-de-aranhas-5743695|title=Butantan descobre 17 novas espécies de aranhas|date=2012-08-09|work=O Globo|language=Portuguese|author=Sil, Felipe|access-date=2013-01-12}}

Predatoroonops schwarzeneggeri, sp. nov., is the type species of the genus.{{cite journal |last1=Brescovit |first1=Antonio |title=The Brazilian goblin spiders of the new genus Predatoroonops (Araneae, Oonopidae) |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |date=2012-06-21 |volume=370 |pages=1–68 |doi=10.1206/766.1 |s2cid=84026292 |url=: http://hdl.handle.net/2246/6186}} The generic name is a contraction of "Predator Oonops", in reference to the creature of the 1987 film Predator, as the scientists found the distinguished male chelicerae similar to the Predator's unmasked face. The specific names honor the film's cast, crew and elements.{{Cite journal |last1=Brescovit |first1=Antonio Domingos |author-link=Antonio Domingos Brescovit |last2=Bonaldo |first2=Alexandre B. |author-link2=Alexandre B. Bonaldo |last3=Santos |first3=Adalberto J. |author-link3=Adalberto J. Santos |last4=Ott |first4=Ricardo |author-link4=Ricardo Ott |last5=Rheims |first5=Cristina A. |author-link5=Cristina A. Rheims |date=2012-06-21 |title=The Brazilian goblin spiders of the new genus Predatoroonops (Araneae, Oonopidae) |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=370 |issue=370 |doi=10.1206/766.1 |pages=1–68 |hdl=2246/6186|s2cid=84026292 |url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/2246/6186/1/B370.pdf }} For instance, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played protagonist 'Dutch' Schaeffer, was homaged with both Predatoroonops schwarzeneggeri and Predatoroonops dutch.

Two species groups within Predatoroonops were proposed, based on the presence or absence of a median furrow in the frontal median area of the male chelicerae. The schwarzeneggeri group presents both median and subdistal furrows, and a long lateral sclerotized groove at the anterior lateral border of the carapace in males; the peterhalli group lacks the median and distal furrows, and its species have the anterior lateral border of the carapace with an attenuated groove. The closest relatives of Predatoroonops are in the genera Orchestina and Cavisternum.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://research.amnh.org/oonopidae/taxonomy/speciesdescription.php Predatoroonops photographs and species descriptions] at Goblin Spider Planetary Biodiversity Initiative
• {{Wikispecies-inline}}

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Category:Oonopidae

Category:Spiders of Brazil

Category:Araneomorphae genera

Category:Predator (franchise)