Psilochorus is a genus of spiders in the family Pholcidae.

Psilochorus
Psilochorus sp with eggs
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Pholcidae
Genus: Psilochorus
Simon, 1893
Type species
Theridion pullulum
Hentz, 1850
Species

P. pullulus
P. simoni
 many more

Diversity
c. 41 species

Description

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The abdomen of Psilochorus species is humped and oval. The eight eyes are located in two rows.[1]

Distribution

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Most described species are found in the New World, especially from Mexico and the United States, but other species occur in South America. P. simoni is found only in Europe. P. nigromaculatus was described from New Guinea, but is certainly misplaced.[2]

Name

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The first part of the genus name is from Ancient Greek psilos "naked". The second part could be derived from a Greek word for "dance", or "separate".

Species

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Notes

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  1. ^ Fitch 1963
  2. ^ Huber 2000

References

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  • Fitch, Henry S. (1963): Spiders of The University of Kansas Natural History Reservation and Rockefeller Experimental Tract.
  • Huber, Bernhard A. (2000): New World Pholcid Spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae): A revision at generic level. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 254: 1–347. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)254<0001:NWPSAP>2.0.CO;2 (with link to PDF)
  • Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.
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