Harpactea

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Genus of spiders

title: "Harpactea" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dysderidae-genera", "dysderidae", "spiders-of-africa", "spiders-of-asia"] description: "Genus of spiders" topic_path: "general/dysderidae-genera" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpactea" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of spiders ::

::callout[type=note] genus of spiders ::

| fossil_range = | image = Harpactea hombergi Franconville.jpg | image_caption = Harpactea hombergi | taxon = Harpactea | authority = Bristowe, 1939 | type_species = Dysdera latreillei Blackwall, 1832, syn. of Harpactea hombergi | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 188, see text. | synonyms = *Harpactes Templeton, 1835, replaced name, not Harpactes Swainson, 1833 | synonyms_ref =

Harpactea is a genus in the family Dysderidae (woodlouse hunting spiders). Harpactea is a replacement name published by W. S. Bristowe in 1939 for the unavailable name "Harpactes" published by R. Templeton in 1835, which had already been used for a genus of birds.

Harpactea sadistica was found to use traumatic insemination, the arthropod behavior of directly inserting its sperm into the body cavity of females. It is the first time it has ever been observed in spiders.

Description

Like all woodlouse hunters, Harpactea have six eyes. The type species, H. hombergi, can grow up to a body length of 6 mm. Males and females are similar, but the female has no epigyne.

Like the rest of their family, they are nocturnal. Unlike them, Harpactea do not specialize on hunting woodlice. H. rubicunda also hunts Drassodes and other spiders, but most Harpactea feed on insects in addition to woodlice.

Taxonomy

In 1835, the name "Harpactes" was published by R. Templeton for a taxon split off from the related genus Dysdera. Subsequent authors used this genus name for many years, but when published, Harpactes had already been used for a bird genus, so it was not available. Accordingly, in 1939, W. S. Bristowe published the replacement name Harpactea. The type species is Dysdera latreillei, synonym "Harpactes" latreillei, now accepted as a synonym of Harpactea hombergi.

Templeton did not explain his choice of genus name,

Species

Almost all species of this genus appear to be endemic to small regions of the Mediterranean.

References

References

  1. Řezáč, M.. (2008). "Description of ''Harpactea sadistica'' n. sp. (Araneae: Dysderidae)—a haplogyne spider with reduced female genitalia". Zootaxa.
  2. Řezáč, M.. (2009). "The spider Harpactea sadistica: co-evolution of traumatic insemination and complex female genital morphology in spiders". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
  3. Roberts, Michael J.. (1985). "The Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland".
  4. "Results for: αρπαχτής". Centre for the Greek Language.
  5. (2022). "Gen. ''Harpactea'' Bristowe, 1939". Natural History Museum Bern.
  6. (1939). "The comity of spiders". Ray Society.
  7. (1835). "On the spiders of the genus ''Dysdera'' Latr. with the description of a new allied genus". The Zoological Journal.

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