Thallumetus
Simon, 1893
Species Guides
1Thallumetus is a of cribellate araneomorph spiders established by Eugène Simon in 1893. It contains ten distributed across the Neotropical region, from the southern United States through Central America to South America. The genus is characterized by the presence of a cribellum, a silk-producing structure used to produce hackled silk for prey capture.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Thallumetus: //θæləˈmiːtəs//
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Identification
Members of Thallumetus possess a cribellum, a diagnostic feature distinguishing cribellate spiders from ecribellate forms. Specific identification to level requires examination of genitalia and other morphological details; the can be distinguished from related dictynid genera by a combination of somatic and genitalic characters, though precise diagnostic features require taxonomic literature.
Distribution
Neotropical region: southern United States (Florida), Mexico, Panama, Virgin Islands, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, and Chile. The shows a broad latitudinal range across the Americas but individual have restricted distributions.
Behavior
As cribellate spiders, members of this produce hackled silk using the cribellum and calamistrum (a row of specialized bristles on the ). This silk type is used to construct prey-capture webs, though specific web architecture varies among and has not been comprehensively documented for most Thallumetus species.
Similar Taxa
- Other Dictynidae generaDictynidae contains multiple cribellate that may resemble Thallumetus in general habitus; precise differentiation requires examination of genitalic and other fine structural characters.