Selenops radiatus
Species of spider
title: "Selenops radiatus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["selenopidae", "spiders-described-in-1819"] description: "Species of spider" topic_path: "general/selenopidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenops_radiatus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Species of spider ::
| name = Common Selenops Flat Spider | image = Selenops sp. (21368608050).jpg | image_caption = A room mate in Mbinga, Tanzania | image2 = Selenops radiatus 394382872.jpg | image2_caption = S. radiatus the wild | taxon = Selenops radiatus | authority = Latreille, 1819 | synonyms_ref = | synonyms = {{Species list |Selenops omalosoma|Dufour, 1820 |Selenops aegyptiaca|Audouin, 1826 |Selenops annulipes|Walckenaer, 1837 |Selenops peregrinator|Walckenaer, 1837 |Selenops alacer|Blackwall, 1865 |Selenops sansibaricus|Gerstaecker, 1873 |Selenops radiata|Simon, 1875 |Selenops latreillei|Simon, 1875 |Selenops malabarensis|Simon, 1880 |Selenops birmanicus|Thorell, 1895 |Selenops diversus|O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 |Selenops strandi|Caporiacco, 1941 |Selenops montanus|Caporiacco, 1947 |Selenops röweri|Caporiacco, 1949 |Selenops sumitrae|Patel & Patel, 1973 |Selenops cordatus|Zhu, Sha & Chen, 1990
Selenops radiatus is a species of spider in the family Selenopidae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution found in the Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East, India, Myanmar and China and is commonly known as the Common Selenops flat spider.
Distribution
Selenops radiatus is a cosmopolitan species with a very wide global distribution.
Habitat and ecology
The species is a free-living cryptozoic nocturnal spider that is commonly found in houses and outbuildings as well as in a wide range of other habitats. It inhabits Grassland, Savanna and Thicket biomes. The species may play a role in regulating populations of potato tuber moths, cockroaches and silver-fish.
Description
Selenops radiatus 225622.jpg Selenops radiatus 225624.jpg
A species known from both sexes. Carapace brown with dark striae radiating forwards and sideways from fovea. abdomen above with dark median area and dark mottled brown on sides, a few white speckles among the predominating brown ones. Legs grey with femora paler and all legs with distinct white bands.
Conservation
Selenops radiatus is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide global geographical range. In South Africa, the species is protected in five reserves: Platberg Nature Reserve, Roodeplaatdam Nature Reserve, Tswaing Crater Nature Reserve, Sabie Sabie Reserve and Kruger National Park.
Taxonomy
S. radiatus was originally described by Latreille in 1819. It has numerous synonyms reflecting its wide distribution and historical taxonomic confusion. The species has been extensively revised by multiple authors over time.
Subspecies
These two subspecies belong to the species Selenops radiatus:
- Selenops radiatus fuscus Franganillo, 1926
- Selenops radiatus radiatus Latreille, 1819
References
References
- "Selenops radiatus Latreille, 1819". World Spider Catalog.
- (2020). "The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1". South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide.
- Latreille, P.A.. (1819). "Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine, etc.".
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