List of spiders of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The invertebrate fauna is as large as it is common to other regions of the world. There are about 2 million species of arthropods found in the world, and still it is counting. So many new species are discover up to this time also. So it is very complicated and difficult to summarize the exact number of species found within a certain region.
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The following list is about spiders found in Sri Lanka.
Spiders
Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. Anatomically, spiders differ from other arthropods in that the usual body segments are fused into two tagmata, the cephalothorax and abdomen, and joined by a small, cylindrical pedicel. Unlike insects, spiders do not have antennae. In all except the most primitive group, the Mesothelae, spiders have the most centralized nervous systems of all arthropods, as all their ganglia are fused into one mass in the cephalothorax. Unlike most arthropods, spiders have no extensor muscles in their limbs and instead extend them by hydraulic pressure.
As of November 2015, at least 45,700 spider species,[1] and 114 families have been recorded by taxonomists. However, there has been dissension within the scientific community as to how all these families should be classified, as evidenced by the over 20 different classifications that have been proposed since 1900.[2]
When considering the spider diversity in South Asia, which includes India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, there are not much extensive spider taxonomy has revealed. Only in India, there is a precise catalogue of spiders are documented by arachnologists. All the other South Asian countries, the scientific study is much lesser than that of India. In Sri Lankan spider fauna, most of the articles and publications on spiders were done by Eugène Simon, C.L. Koch in the past and currently by Channa Bambaradeniya, K. B Ranawana, V. A. M. P. K Samarawickrama and Ranil P. Nanayakkara.[3] However, most of them were interested on tiger spiders of Sri Lanka - genus Poecilotheria,[4][5] not much work done in other spider categories.[6]
In 2012 IUCN National Red List of Sri Lanka, much more comprehensive study on spiders and other local fauna had taken place. Afterwards, two books named An introduction to common Spiders of Sri Lanka and Tiger Spiders - Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka by Ranil P. Nanayakkara were published in 2014 and 2013 respectively. Numerous publications and checklists have been made up since then and curiosity about the arachnid fauna arose in the country.[7][8][9] Three new jumping spiders were identified in 2016.[10]
The following list provide the spiders currently identified in Sri Lanka. This works has influenced by the works of above named arachnologists accompanied with the checklist by Manju Siliwal and Sanjay Molur's detailed checklist of spiders of South Asia including 2006 revision of Indian spider checklist. This checklist provided all the described spider species of South Asia and part of South-East Asia as well.[11]
Currently, Sri Lanka has 387 species of spiders belongs to 45 families and 213 genera. Out of these 387 species, 275 are endemic spiders to Sri Lanka with 22 endemic genera.[12]
Endemic species are denoted as E.
Family: Araneidae
- Orb weavers
- Anepsion maritatum
- Araneus enucleatus
- Araneus obtusatus - E
- Argiope aemula
- Argiope aetherea
- Argiope anasuja
- Argiope catenulata
- Argiope pulchella
- Argiope taprobanica - E
- Chorizopes frontalis
- Chorizopes mucronatus
- Clitaetra thisbe - E
- Cyrtarachne perspicillata
- Cyrtarachne raniceps
- Cyrtophora unicolor
- Dolichognatha albida - E
- Dolichognatha incanescens - E
- Dolichognatha nietneri - E
- Dolichognatha quinquemucronata - E
- Gasteracantha geminata
- Gasteracantha remifera
- Glyptogona duriuscula - E
- Herennia multipuncta
- Hypsosinga taprobanica - E
- Mangora semiargentea - E
- Nephila pilipes
- Nephilengys malabarensis
- Ordgarius hobsoni
- Poltys columnaris
- Ursa vittigera - E
Family: Barychelidae
- Brushed trapdoor spiders
Family: Cheiracanthiidae
- Cheiracanthiid spiders
Family: Clubionidae
- Club Sac spiders
- Matidia flagellifera - E
- Matidia simplex - E
- Nusatidia bimaculata - E
- Simalio lucorum - E
- Simalio phaeocephalus - E
Family: Corinnidae
- Corinnid sac spiders
Family: Ctenidae
- Wandering spiders
- Ctenus ceylonensis - E
- Ctenus kandyensis - E
- Ctenus thorelli - E
- Diallomus fuliginosus - E
- Diallomus speciosus - E
Family: Dictynidae
- Irregular web weavers
Family: Hahniidae
- Dwarf sheet spiders
- Alistra radleyi - E
- Alistra stenura - E
- Alistra taprobanica - E
- Hahnia oreophila - E
- Hahnia pusio - E
Family: Hersiliidae
- Tree trunk spiders
Family: Idiopidae
- Armored trapdoor spiders
Family: Linyphiidae
- Sheet weavers
- Atypena ellioti - E
- Atypena simoni - E
- Ceratinopsis monticola - E
- Helsdingenia ceylonica
- Labullinyphia tersa - E
- Microbathyphantes palmarius
- Nematogmus dentimanus
- Neriene katyae - E
- Nesioneta benoiti - E
- Obrimona tennenti - E
- Trematocephalus simplex - E
- Trematocephalus tripunctatus - E
- Typhistes antilope - E
- Typhistes comatus - E
Family: Liocranidae
- Sac spiders
- Argistes seriatus - E
- Argistes velox - E
- Koppe armata - E
- Oedignatha affinis - E
- Oedignatha bicolor - E
- Oedignatha coriacea - E
- Oedignatha flavipes - E
- Oedignatha gulosa - E
- Oedignatha major - E
- Oedignatha montigena - E
- Oedignatha proboscidea - E
- Oedignatha retusa - E
- Oedignatha striata - E
- Paratus reticulatus - E
- Sphingius scutatus - E
Family: Lycosidae
- Wolf spiders
Family: Ochyroceratidae
- Ochyroceratid six-eyed spiders
- Merizocera brincki - E
- Merizocera cruciata - E
- Merizocera oryzae - E
- Merizocera picturata - E
- Psiloderces elasticus - E
- Speocera taprobanica - E
Family: Oonopidae
- Goblin spiders
- Aprusia kataragama - E
- Aprusia strenuus - E
- Aprusia veddah - E
- Aprusia vestigator - E
- Brignolia ambigua - E
- Brignolia nigripalpis
- Brignolia ratnapura - E
- Brignolia sinharaja - E
- Brignolia trichinalis
- Gamasomorpha microps - E
- Gamasomorpha subclathrata - E
- Gamasomorpha taprobanica - E
- Ischnothyreus bipartitus - E
- Ischnothyreus lymphaseus - E
- Opopaea mollis - E
- Orchestina dentifera - E
- Orchestina manicata
- Orchestina pilifera - E
- Orchestina tubifera - E
- Xestaspis kandy - E
- Xestaspis paulina - E
- Xestaspis sublaevis - E
Family: Oxyopidae
- Lynx spiders
Family: Pholcidae
- Cellar spiders
Family: Psechridae
- Horizontal web-weavers
Family: Salticidae
- Jumping spiders
- Aelurillus kronestedti
- Aelurillus quadrimaculatus
- Asemonea tenuipes
- Ballus segmentatus - E
- Ballus sellatus - E
- Bianor angulosus
- Brettus adonis
- Carrhotus taprobanicus - E
- Colaxes horton - E
- Colaxes wanlessi - E
- Cosmophasis olorina - E
- Curubis annulata - E
- Curubis erratica - E
- Curubis tetrica - E
- Epidelaxia albocruciata - E
- Epidelaxia albostellata - E
- Epidelaxia obscura - E
- Euryattus bleekeri
- Euryattus breviusculus - E
- Evarcha cancellata
- Flacillula lubrica - E
- Gelotia lanka - E
- "Hasarius adansoni"
- Hyllus semicupreus
- Irura pulchra - E
- Jerzego bipartitus
- Marengo crassipes - E
- Marengo inornata - E
- Marengo nitida - E
- Marengo rattotensis - E
- Marengo striatipes - E
- Modunda aeneiceps
- Myrmarachne bicurvata - E
- Myrmarachne dishani - E
- Myrmarachne imbellis - E
- Myrmarachne melanocephala
- Myrmarachne plataleoides
- Myrmarachne prava - E
- Myrmarachne ramunni - E
- Myrmarachne spissa
- Myrmarachne uniseriata
- Onomastus corbetensis - E
- Onomastus jamestaylori - E
- Onomastus maskeliya - E
- Onomastus nigricaudus - E
- Onomastus pethiyagodai - E
- Onomastus quinquenotatus - E
- Onomastus rattotensis - E
- Panachraesta paludosa - E
- Panysinus semiermis - E
- Phaeacius wanlessi
- Phausina bivittata - E
- Phausina flavofrenata - E
- Phausina guttipes - E
- Phintella multimaculata - E
- Phintella volupe
- Phyaces comosus - E
- Plexippus redimitus
- Plexippus paykulli
- Plexippus petersi
- Portia fimbriata
- Portia labiata
- Ptocasius fulvonitens - E
- Rhene flavicomans
- Saitis chaperi
- Saitis kandyensis - E
- Sigytes paradisiacus - E
- Siler semiglaucus - E
- Simaetha cingulata - E
- Simaetha laminata - E
- Simaetha reducta - E
- Spartaeus spinimanus
- Stagetillus taprobanicus - E
- Stergusa aurata - E
- Stergusa aurichalcea - E
- Stergusa stelligera - E
- Tamigalesus munnaricus - E
- Telamonia sponsa - E
- Thiania pulcherrima
- Uroballus henicurus - E
- Uroballus octovittatus - E
- Viciria polysticta - E
Family: Sparassidae
- Huntsman spiders
- Heteropoda eluta - E
- Heteropoda kandiana - E
- Heteropoda subtilis - E
- Heteropoda umbrata - E
- Olios ceylonicus - E
- Olios greeni - E
- Olios hirtus - E
- Olios lamarcki - ssp. taprobanicus - E
- Olios milleti -
- Olios senilis
- Pandercetes decipiens
- Pandercetes plumipes
- Rhitymna occidentalis - E
- Spariolenus taprobanicus - E
- Stasina nalandica - E
- Stasina paripes - E
- Thelcticopis hercules - E
Family: Tetrablemmidae
- Armored spiders
Family: Tetragnathidae
- Long-jawed orb weavers
- Atelidea spinosa - E
- Dolichognatha albida
- Dolichognatha incanescens
- Dolichognatha nietneri - E
- Dolichognatha quinquemucronata - E
- Leucauge argentata
- Leucauge ditissima
- Leucauge lamperti - E
- Mesida culta
- Schenkeliella spinosa - E
- Tetragnatha armata - E
- Tetragnatha determinata - E
- Tetragnatha foveata
- Tetragnatha geniculata - E
- Tetragnatha planata - E
- Tetragnatha tenera
- Tetragnatha virescens
Family: Theraphosidae
- Tarantulas
- Chilobrachys nitelinus - E
- Chilobrachys jonitriantisvansicklei - E
- Plesiophrictus tenuipes - E
- Poecilotheria bara - E
- Poecilotheria fasciata - E
- Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica
- Poecilotheria ornata - E
- Poecilotheria smithi - E
- Poecilotheria subfusca - E
- Poecilotheria uniformis - E
- Poecilotheria vittata
- Poecilotheria rajaei - E
Family: Theridiidae
- cobweb spiders
- Argyrodes fissifrons
- Argyrodes flavescens
- Argyrodes nasutus - E
- Argyrodes scintillulanus
- Ariamnes pavesii
- Cephalobares globiceps
- Chikunia nigra
- Chrysso spiniventris
- Coscinida gentilis - E
- Coscinida novemnotata - E
- Coscinida triangulifera - E
- Dipoena sertata - E
- Emertonella taczanowskii - E
- Enoplognatha oreophila - E
- Janula taprobanica - E
- Latrodectus erythromelas
- Molione trispinosa - E
- Phoroncidia nasuta - E
- Phoroncidia septemaculeata - E
- Phoroncidia testudo
- Phoroncidia thwaitesi - E
- Propostira quadrangulata - E
- Steatoda rufoannulata
- Theridion albomaculosum - E
- Theridion ceylonicus - E
- Theridion gabardi - E
- Theridion modestum - E
- Theridion nodiferum - E
- Theridion quadratum
- Theridion teliferum - E
- Thwaitesia margaritifera
Family: Thomisidae
- Crab spiders
- Ascurisoma striatipes
- Boliscus decipiens - E
- Borboropactus asper - E
- Cymbacha simplex - E
- Diaea placata - E
- Epidius parvati - E
- Holopelus piger - E
- Monaeses attenuatus - E
- Monaeses cinerascens
- Monaeses greeni - E
- Oxytate subvirens - E
- Oxytate taprobane - E
- Pagida salticiformis - E
- Peritraeus hystrix - E
- Phrynarachne ceylonica
- Phrynarachne fatalis - E
- Phrynarachne rothschildi - E
- Runcinia bifrons
- Stiphropus sigillatus - E
- Tagulis mystacinus - E
- Talaus oblitus - E
- Tarrocanus capra - E
- Thomisus callidus
- Thomisus granulifrons
Family: Trachelidae
- Trachelid sac spiders
Family: Uloboridae
- Cribellate orb weavers
Family: Zoropsidae
- False wolf spiders
- Devendra pardalis - E
- Devendra pumilus - E
- Devendra seriatus - E
References
- http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/
- Foelix, Rainer F. (1996). Biology of Spiders. 198 Madison Ave. NY, New York, 10016: Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 0-19-509593-6.CS1 maint: location (link)
- Bambaradeniya, Channa. "Fauna of Sri Lanka" (PDF). World Conservation Union in Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- "Poecilotheria species". Tarantupedia. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- "New giant tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka". wired.com. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- "South Indian Spiders". southindianspiders.org. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- Nanayakkara, Ranil P. (2014). Tiger Spiders Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environmental & Renewable Energy. p. 167. ISBN 978-955-0033-58-4.
- Samarawickrama, V. A. M. P. K; Jayananda, M. D. B. G; Ranawana, K. B & Smith, Andrew. "Study of the distribtution of the genus Poecilotheria in Sri Lanka" (PDF). Ceylon Journal of Science. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- "Giant new kind of tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- "Description of Three New Species of the Tropical Asian Jumping Spider Genus Onomastus Simon, 1900 (Araneae: Salticidae) from High Altitude Cloud Forests of Sri Lanka". Novataxa. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- Molur, Sanjay; Siliwal, Manju. "Checklist of Spiders of South Asia". p. 47. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- Bambaradeniya, Channa N. B. (2006). The Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research, and Conservation. ISBN 9789558177518. Retrieved 23 January 2016.