Selenopidae
Guides
Selenops
Flatties, Crescent-eyed Spiders, Wall Crab Spiders
Selenops is a genus of spiders in the family Selenopidae, commonly known as "flatties" due to their extremely flattened bodies. The genus comprises approximately 132 species distributed across arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, including the southwestern United States, Florida, the Caribbean, and tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. These spiders are notable for being the first documented arachnids capable of controlled gliding when falling, using their flattened bodies and laterigrade legs to steer toward tree trunks rather than falling to the ground. They exhibit some of the fastest turning movements recorded in terrestrial legged animals when attacking prey from behind.
Selenops submaculosus
flatty
Selenops submaculosus is a species of wall crab spider in the family Selenopidae, commonly known as a "flatty." It exhibits the characteristic extremely flattened body and laterigrade leg posture typical of the family. The species occurs in the southeastern United States, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands. Like other selenopids, it is nocturnal and typically found on vertical surfaces.