Afraflacilla
Encyclopedia
Afraflacilla is a genus
of the spider
family Salticidae (jumping spider
s). Most pecies are distributed in Eastern to Northern Africa
(including the Middle East
) and Australia
, with one species (A. epiblemoides) found in Europe
.
This genus was for a time included in the genus Pseudicius
, and the boundaries between both genera are disputed.
Afraflacilla was first described from Australia in 1993, where they occupy tree trunks in savanna woodland and in open sclerophyll
phorests.
and Marchena
are close relatives and form a monophyletic group.
, where most earlier described species were found, and Flacilla Simon, 1901, an obsolete salticid genus now called Flacillula
Strand, 1932. This genus name is in turn derived from Aelia Flaccilla
, wife of Roman Emperor
Theodosius I
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of the spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
family Salticidae (jumping spider
Jumping spider
The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...
s). Most pecies are distributed in Eastern to Northern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
(including the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
) and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with one species (A. epiblemoides) found in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
This genus was for a time included in the genus Pseudicius
Pseudicius
Pseudicius is a spider genus of the Salticidae family .-Relationships:The small genus Wesolowskana should possibly be included in this genus. There is some dispute whether Afraflacilla is a distinct genus or should be included in Pseudicius...
, and the boundaries between both genera are disputed.
Afraflacilla was first described from Australia in 1993, where they occupy tree trunks in savanna woodland and in open sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
phorests.
Relationships
Afraflacilla, Pseudicius, FestuculaFestucula
Festucula is a genus of the spider family Salticidae .-Species:* Festucula festuculaeformis — Central, East, Southern Africa* Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933 — Angola, Tanzania...
and Marchena
Marchena
Marchena is a spider genus of the Salticidae family . Its only described species, M. minuta, is only found in the USA. It dwells on the barks of conifers along the west coast, especially California, Washington and Nevada...
are close relatives and form a monophyletic group.
Name
The name is combined from AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, where most earlier described species were found, and Flacilla Simon, 1901, an obsolete salticid genus now called Flacillula
Flacillula
Flacillula is a spider genus of the Salticidae family with five described species that occur in the Southeast Asian region. It is closely related to the genus Afraflacilla.They look flattish, with a long gray body...
Strand, 1932. This genus name is in turn derived from Aelia Flaccilla
Aelia Flaccilla
Aelia Flavia Flaccilla , first wife of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. She was of Hispanian Roman descent. During her marriage to Theodosius, she gave birth to two sons — future Emperors Arcadius and Honorius — and a daughter, Aelia Pulcheria...
, wife of Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
.
Species
- Afraflacilla antineae (Denis, 1954) — AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
- Afraflacilla asorotica (Simon, 1890) — Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east.... - Afraflacilla bamakoi Berland & Millot, 1941 — SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
- Afraflacilla berlandi Denis, 1955 — LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
- Afraflacilla courti Zabka, 1993 — New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
- Afraflacilla epiblemoides (Chyzer, 1891) — CentralCentral EuropeCentral Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, Eastern EuropeEastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"... - Afraflacilla grayorum Zabka, 1993 — Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... - Afraflacilla gunbar Zabka & Gray, 2002 — New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
- Afraflacilla huntorum Zabka, 1993 — Western Australia, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
- Afraflacilla millidgei Zabka & Gray, 2002 — Western Australia
- Afraflacilla risbeci Berland & Millot, 1941 — SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
- Afraflacilla scenica Denis, 1955 — NigerNigerNiger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
- Afraflacilla similis Berland & Millot, 1941 — Senegal
- Afraflacilla stridulator Zabka, 1993 — Western Australia
- Afraflacilla vestjensi Zabka, 1993 — Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
- Afraflacilla wadis (Prószynski, 1989) — Saudi Arabia, Israel, Yemen
- Afraflacilla yeni Zabka, 1993 — Victoria