Porrhothele is a genus of mygalomorph spiders endemic to New Zealand. They are the only members of the family Porrhothelidae. They were first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892.[2] Originally placed with the curtain web spiders,[2] it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980,[3] they were placed in their own family in 2018.[4]
Members of Porrhothelidae are distinguished from other mygalomorph spiders by the small posterior sigillae and a single row of teeth on the forward-facing margin of the chelicerae. Males have many strong spines on the forward-facing margin of their tibiae.[4]
The genus Porrhothele was erected by Eugène Simon in 1892 for the species Porrhothele antipodiana. Simon transferred these from Mygale, a genus previously used for many mygalomorph spiders, but is no longer in use. He placed this genus in the subfamily Diplurinae,[2] which later became the family Dipluridae. Raven transferred the genus to Hexathelidae,[3] where it remained until the results of a 2018 molecular phylogenetic study suggested that it belongs in its own family.[4]
The following cladogram shows the possible relationship of Porrhothele to related taxa.
Dipluridae
Porrhothele (Porrhothelidae)
Calisoga (Nemesiidae)
Hebestatis (Halonoproctidae)
As of May 2019 it contains five species, all found in New Zealand:[1]
Porrhothele is a genus of mygalomorph spiders endemic to New Zealand. They are the only members of the family Porrhothelidae. They were first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892. Originally placed with the curtain web spiders, it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980, they were placed in their own family in 2018.
Members of Porrhothelidae are distinguished from other mygalomorph spiders by the small posterior sigillae and a single row of teeth on the forward-facing margin of the chelicerae. Males have many strong spines on the forward-facing margin of their tibiae.
Porrhothelidae Hedin & Bond, 2018 è una famiglia di ragni appartenente al sottordine Mygalomorphae.
Le 5 specie note sono state rinvenute in Nuova Zelanda[1].
Gli esemplari rinvenuti di questa famiglia si distinguono dagli altri ragni migalomorfi per le sigillae posteriori piccole e per aver una sola fila di zanne sul margine rivolto in avanti dei cheliceri[1].
I maschi hanno molte spine robuste sul margine rivolto in avanti delle loro tibie[1].
Il genere Porrhothele Simon, 1892 è stato separato dalla famiglia Hexathelidae a seguito di un lavoro di Hedin et al., del 2018 per costituire famiglia a sé con l'attuale denominazione[1].
Attualmente, a dicembre 2020, si compone di un genere e 5 specie[1]:
Il seguente cladogramma mostra le possibili relazioni filogenetiche delle Porrhothelidae e delle famiglie correlate:
Porrhothele (Porrhothelidae)
Porrhothelidae Hedin & Bond, 2018 è una famiglia di ragni appartenente al sottordine Mygalomorphae.
