Pholcophora
Banks, 1896
cellar spiders
Species Guides
1Pholcophora is a of cellar spiders in the Pholcidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1896. The genus contains eight distributed in North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas. These spiders are small-bodied with characteristically long, slender legs typical of the Pholcidae family. The genus has been subject to recent taxonomic revision, with three new species described in 2023.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pholcophora: /fɔlkoˈfɔra/
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Distribution
Found in North America: United States (including type locality), Canada, Mexico (five ), and the Bahamas. Species distributions are regional, with some showing narrow ranges in specific Mexican localities.
More Details
Taxonomic history
The was established by Nathan Banks in 1896 with Pholcophora americana as the type . The number of recognized species has increased from five (as of 2017) to eight (as of July 2023), with three new species described by Huber in 2023 from Mexico: P. mazatlan, P. papanoa, and P. tehuacan.
Species diversity
Mexico harbors the highest with five or partially endemic . The Bahamas and Canada each have one species, while the United States shares species with both Canada and Mexico.