Enlarged-eyes
Guides
Deinopis
net-casting spiders, gladiator spiders, ogre-faced spiders, American Ogre-faced Spiders
Deinopis is a genus of net-casting spiders characterized by their distinctive hunting strategy of throwing a rectangular cribellate web at prey. The genus is distinguished by enlarged posterior median eyes that are among the most light-sensitive of any animal, enabling nocturnal hunting. These spiders exhibit specialized sensory adaptations including the use of trichobothria and slit sensillae on their legs to detect prey vibrations and sounds. The genus has a tropical and subtropical distribution with a complex biogeographic history involving Gondwanan origins and subsequent dispersal events.
Megapenthes megalops
Megapenthes megalops is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, tribe Megapenthini. The genus Megapenthes is characterized by enlarged eyes, a trait reflected in the species epithet 'megalops' (large-eyed). Members of this genus are typically associated with forested habitats and are active as adults during warmer months. The larvae develop in decaying wood and are predatory on other saproxylic invertebrates.