Phycosoma is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1880.
Distribution Spiders in this genus are found worldwide.
Description
The genus Phycosoma comprises small spiders typically less than 4 mm in total length. Males are recognized by their very high carapace, sometimes as high as it is long and cylindrical in shape with dorsal grooves and depressions when viewed from above. In females, the carapace is low and not modified. The eye region often projects above the clypeus, with the anterior median eyes sometimes larger than the other eyes. The clypeus is often concave, with very small chelicerae lacking teeth and bearing long, flat fangs.
The abdomen is sometimes modified and sclerotized with a dorsal scutum or hump. Species bear numerous short setae originating from small tubercles, and most species lack a colulus. Leg IV is slightly longer than the others, with legs being medium to short overall.
Life style These spiders construct small webs near the ground where they feed on ants. They are also called gallows-spiders because they hang their prey until it dies.
Taxonomy Several Phycosoma species have been sampled from pitfall traps throughout South Africa but remain unnamed.
Species
, this genus includes 32 species:
Phycosoma aheneum (Dyal, 1935) – Pakistan Phycosoma altum (Keyserling, 1886) – Mexico to Brazil. Introduced to Hawaii Phycosoma amamiense (Yoshida, 1985) – Russia (Far East), China, Korea, Japan Phycosoma corrugum Gao & Li, 2014 – China Phycosoma crenatum Gao & Li, 2014 – China Phycosoma diaoluo F. Zhang & B. S. Zhang, 2012 – China (Hainan) Phycosoma digitula F. Zhang & B. S. Zhang, 2012 – China (Hainan) Phycosoma excisum (Simon, 1889) – Madagascar Phycosoma flavomarginatum (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) – China, Korea, Japan Phycosoma hainanense (Zhu, 1998) – China (Hainan), Laos Phycosoma hana (Zhu, 1998) – China Phycosoma inornatum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1861) – Europe, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran Phycosoma jamesi (Roberts, 1979) – Jamaica, Panama Phycosoma japonicum (Yoshida, 1985) – China, Korea, Japan Phycosoma labiale (Zhu, 1998) – Russia (Far East), China Phycosoma ligulaceum Gao & Li, 2014 – China Phycosoma lineatipes (Bryant, 1933) – USA to Brazil, Galapagos Phycosoma martinae (Roberts, 1983) – Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar, India, China, Korea, Japan (Ryukyu Is.), Philippines Phycosoma menustya (Roberts, 1983) – Seychelles Phycosoma molle (Simon, 1903) – Equatorial Guinea Phycosoma mustelinum (Simon, 1889) – Russia (Far East), China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia (Krakatau) Phycosoma nigromaculatum (Yoshida, 1987) – China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan Phycosoma oecobioides O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880 – New Zealand (mainland, Chatham Is.) (type species) Phycosoma ripa (Zhu, 1998) – China Phycosoma sinicum (Zhu, 1992) – China, Vietnam Phycosoma spundana (Roberts, 1978) – South Africa, Seychelles Phycosoma stellare (Zhu, 1998) – China Phycosoma stictum (Zhu, 1992) – China, Korea Phycosoma stigmosum Yin, 2012 – China Phycosoma submustelinum (Zhu, 1998) – China Phycosoma turriceps (Schenkel, 1936) – China, Laos Phycosoma yanshun Lin & Li, 2024 – Vietnam
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