Selenops

Selenops; Temporal range:
	Selenops sp.
	Female S. ansieae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Selenopidae
Genus:	Selenops; Latreille, 1819
Diversity
	132 species

Selenops is a spider genus that is found in many arid regions of the world, but some species may also be found in some cooler and even mountainous regions. Most of the 132 species (as of May. 2021) are hard to visually distinguish, and requires study of their finer anatomy.

S. australiensis is found on or under dry bark in Australia. The female reaches 9mm, the male 7mm. It looks superficially like a huntsman spider.

S. radiatus has proved to be an effective controlling agent of the potato tuber moth in South Africa.

Selenops is the first spider known to be able to steer and glide when falling, in order to land in or on a tree, instead of falling to the ground.^[1]^[2]

Selenops spiders are able to attack prey approaching from all directions. When attacking prey from behind, they show some of the fastest turning movements documented in terrestrial legged animals.^[3]

Lifestyle

Selenops are free-living, agile spiders found on rocks, walls and tree trunks. With their very flattened bodies they are able to move into narrow crevices. Different species frequently occur sympatrically but occupy different microhabitats. The egg sac is round, flat, and papery and is attached to stones or bark.^[4]

Description

Selenops differ from other selenopid genera by the arrangement of the eyes. The anterior median eyes, posterior median eyes and anterior lateral eyes align or are slightly recurved. Leg II is longer than leg IV and tibiae I and II have 2-2-2 ventral spines while metatarsi I-II have 2-2 spines.^[4]

These are small to large spiders measuring 6-23 mm in total length. The carapace is flattened and subcircular, usually brown to reddish brown with lateral dark bands or spots. The chelicerae are brown to orange, normally with black or grey bands. Labium and sternum are usually paler in colour. The abdomen is flattened, round to oval, clothed in dense setae, normally grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal defined patterns. The venter is yellowish without markings.^[4]

Legs have two claws with claw tufts and scopulae. They are laterigrade spiders with anterior legs provided with strong, four to seven pairs of ventral spines on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. Tarsal claws are smooth and leg formulae are normally 4321.^[4]

Name

The genus is named after the moon goddess Selene, and Greek -ops "eye", because of the moon-like form of the eyes.

Taxonomy

The genus was studied by Lawrence (1940), Benoit (1968) and Corronca (2002, 2005).^[4]

Species

S. baweka
S. formosanus
S. maranhensis
S. mexicanus

As of September 2025, this genus includes 132 species.^[5]

These species have articles on Wikipedia:

Selenops ansieae Corronca, 2002 – South Africa
Selenops brachycephalus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops dilon Corronca, 2002 – South Africa
Selenops feron Corronca, 2002 – Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops ilcuria Corronca, 2002 – Cameroon, South Africa
Selenops insularis Keyserling, 1881 – United States, Greater Antilles
Selenops intricatus Simon, 1910 – Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, DR Congo, South Africa
Selenops lesnei Lessert, 1936 – Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
Selenops lobatse Corronca, 2001 – South Africa
Selenops ovambicus Lawrence, 1940 – Senegal, Cameroon, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa
Selenops radiatus Latreille, 1819 – Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East, India, Myanmar, China (type species)
Selenops rosario Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops submaculosus Bryant, 1940 – United States, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands
Selenops tenebrosus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops tonteldoos Corronca, 2005 – South Africa
Selenops zuluanus Lawrence, 1940 – Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa

Complete species list as of September 2025

Selenops ab Logunov & Jäger, 2015 – China, Vietnam
Selenops abyssus Muma, 1953 – Mexico
Selenops actophilus Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, Mexico
Selenops aequalis Franganillo, 1935 – Cuba
Selenops aissus Walckenaer, 1837 – United States, Bahamas, Cuba
Selenops alemani Muma, 1953 – Cuba
Selenops amona Crews, 2011 – Puerto Rico
Selenops anacaona Crews, 2018 – Hispaniola (Dominican Rep.)
Selenops angelae Corronca, 1998 – Ecuador
Selenops angolaensis Corronca, 2002 – Angola
Selenops annulatus Simon, 1876 – Cameroon, Tanzania
Selenops ansieae Corronca, 2002 – South Africa
Selenops arikok Crews, 2011 – Aruba
Selenops aztecus Valdez-Mondragón, 2010 – Mexico
Selenops bani Alayón, 1992 – Hispaniola
Selenops banksi Muma, 1953 – Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Brazil
Selenops bastet Zamani & Crews, 2019 – Egypt
Selenops baweka Crews, 2011 – Turks and Caicos Islands
Selenops bifurcatus Banks, 1909 – Guatemala, Costa Rica
Selenops bocacanadensis Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola (Dominican Rep.)
Selenops brachycephalus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops bullerengue Crews, Torres & Galvis, 2021 – Colombia
Selenops bursarius Karsch, 1879 – Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan
Selenops buscki Muma, 1953 – Panama
Selenops cabagan Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops camerun Corronca, 2001 – Cameroon
Selenops canasta Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops candidus Muma, 1953 – Jamaica
Selenops caney Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops caonabo Crews, 2018 – Hispaniola (Dominican Rep.)
Selenops chamela Crews, 2011 – Mexico
Selenops cocheleti Simon, 1880 – Panama, Argentina
Selenops comorensis Schmidt & Krause, 1994 – Comoros
Selenops crewsae Lin & Li, 2021 – China
Selenops cristis Corronca, 2002 – Ghana, Namibia
Selenops curazao Alayón, 2001 – Curaçao, Bonaire
Selenops curruganja Crews & Galvis, 2021 – Colombia
Selenops debilis Banks, 1898 – United States, Mexico
Selenops denia Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola
Selenops dilamen Corronca, 2002 – DR Congo
Selenops dilon Corronca, 2002 – South Africa
Selenops duan Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola
Selenops ducke Corronca, 1996 – Brazil
Selenops dufouri Vinson, 1863 – Madagascar, Réunion
Selenops ecuadorensis Berland, 1913 – Ecuador
Selenops ef Jäger, 2019 – Cambodia
Selenops enriquillo Crews, 2011 – Jamaica, Hispaniola
Selenops feron Corronca, 2002 – Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops florenciae Corronca, 2002 – Angola
Selenops formosus Bryant, 1940 – Cuba
Selenops geraldinae Corronca, 1996 – Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil
Selenops gracilis Muma, 1953 – Mexico
Selenops guerrero Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola
Selenops hebraicus Mello-Leitão, 1945 – Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Selenops huetocatl Crews, 2011 – Mexico
Selenops iberia Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops ilcuria Corronca, 2002 – Cameroon, South Africa
Selenops imias Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops insularis Keyserling, 1881 – United States, Greater Antilles
Selenops intricatus Simon, 1910 – Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, DR Congo, South Africa
Selenops isopodus Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia, Venezuela
Selenops ivohibe Corronca, 2005 – Madagascar
Selenops ixchel Crews, 2011 – Mexico
Selenops jocquei Corronca, 2005 – Ivory Coast
Selenops juxtlahuaca Valdez, 2007 – Mexico
Selenops kalinago Crews, 2011 – Lesser Antilles
Selenops krugeri Lawrence, 1940 – Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops lavillai Corronca, 1996 – Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil
Selenops lepidus Muma, 1953 – Mexico
Selenops lesnei Lessert, 1936 – Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
Selenops levii Corronca, 1997 – Brazil
Selenops lindborgi Petrunkevitch, 1926 – Caribbean
Selenops littoricola Strand, 1913 – Central Africa
Selenops lobatse Corronca, 2001 – South Africa
Selenops lucibel Corronca, 2002 – Southern Africa
Selenops lumbo Corronca, 2001 – East Africa
Selenops makimaki Crews, 2011 – Mexico
Selenops malinalxochitl Crews, 2011 – Mexico
Selenops manzanoae Corronca, 1997 – Brazil
Selenops maranhensis Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina
Selenops marcanoi Alayón, 1992 – Hispaniola
Selenops marginalis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico
Selenops melanurus Mello-Leitão, 1923 – Brazil
Selenops mexicanus Keyserling, 1880 – United States, Colombia, Galapagos
Selenops micropalpus Muma, 1953 – Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Selenops minutus F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico, Guatemala
Selenops morosus Banks, 1898 – Mexico
Selenops morro Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola (Dominican Rep.)
Selenops muehlmannorum Jäger & Praxaysombath, 2011 – Laos
Selenops nesophilus Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, Mexico
Selenops nigromaculatus Keyserling, 1880 – Mexico
Selenops occultus Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Selenops oculatus Pocock, 1898 – Yemen
Selenops ollarius Zhu, Sha & Chen, 1990 – China
Selenops onka Corronca, 2005 – Angola, Namibia
Selenops oricuajo Crews, 2011 – Costa Rica
Selenops ovambicus Lawrence, 1940 – Senegal, Cameroon, Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa
Selenops oviedo Crews, 2011 – Hispaniola
Selenops para Corronca, 1996 – Brazil
Selenops pensilis Muma, 1953 – Hispaniola (Haiti, Dominican Rep.)
Selenops peraltae Corronca, 1997 – Bolivia
Selenops petenajtoy Crews, 2011 – Guatemala
Selenops petrunkevitchi Alayón, 2003 – Jamaica
Selenops phaselus Muma, 1953 – Hispaniola
Selenops pygmaeus Benoit, 1975 – Ivory Coast, Congo
Selenops radiatus Latreille, 1819 – Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East, India, Myanmar, China (type species)
Selenops rapax Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Brazil, Argentina
Selenops rosario Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops sabulosus Benoit, 1968 – Djibouti
Selenops saldali Corronca, 2002 – Ghana, Nigeria
Selenops scitus Muma, 1953 – Mexico
Selenops secretus Hirst, 1911 – Seychelles
Selenops siboney Alayón, 2005 – Cuba
Selenops simius Muma, 1953 – Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands
Selenops souliga Crews, 2011 – Lesser Antilles (Anguilla, Saint-Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Barthélemy)
Selenops spixi Perty, 1833 – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
Selenops submaculosus Bryant, 1940 – United States, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Is.
Selenops tenebrosus Lawrence, 1940 – Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops tiky Corronca, 1998 – Venezuela
Selenops tomsici Corronca, 1996 – Peru
Selenops tonteldoos Corronca, 2005 – South Africa
Selenops trifidus Bryant, 1948 – Caribbean (Navassa Is.)
Selenops vigilans Pocock, 1898 – West, Central, East Africa, Madagascar
Selenops vinalesi Muma, 1953 – Cuba
Selenops viron Corronca, 2002 – Kenya
Selenops willinki Corronca, 1996 – Trinidad
Selenops wilmotorum Crews, 2011 – Jamaica
Selenops wilsoni Crews, 2011 – Jamaica
Selenops ximenae Corronca, 1997 – Brazil
Selenops zairensis Benoit, 1968 – Congo, Ivory Coast, Angola
Selenops zuluanus Lawrence, 1940 – Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Selenops zumac Corronca, 1996 – Brazil

References

^ "Flying Spiders Found—and They Can Steer in Mid-Air". Archived from the original on August 20, 2015.
^ Yanoviak, Stephen P.; Munk, Yonatan; Dudley, Robert (2015). "Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 12 (110): 0534. doi:10.1098/rsif.2015.0534. PMC 4614463. PMID 26289654.
^ Zeng, Yu; Crews, Sarah (2018-04-01). "Biomechanics of omnidirectional strikes in flat spiders". Journal of Experimental Biology. 221 (7): jeb166512. doi:10.1242/jeb.166512 (inactive 25 October 2025). ISSN 0022-0949. PMID 29440135.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2025 (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 66. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
^ "Gen. Selenops Latreille, 1819". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-05.

External links

Citizen science observations for Selenops at iNaturalist

[natgeo-1] "Flying Spiders Found—and They Can Steer in Mid-Air". Archived from the original on August 20, 2015.

[rsp-2] Yanoviak, Stephen P.; Munk, Yonatan; Dudley, Robert (2015). "Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 12 (110): 0534. doi:10.1098/rsif.2015.0534. PMC 4614463. PMID 26289654.

[zeng2018-3] Zeng, Yu; Crews, Sarah (2018-04-01). "Biomechanics of omnidirectional strikes in flat spiders". Journal of Experimental Biology. 221 (7): jeb166512. doi:10.1242/jeb.166512 (inactive 25 October 2025). ISSN 0022-0949. PMID 29440135.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2025 (link)

[dippenaar2020-4] Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Selenopidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 66. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7162139. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

[wsc-5] "Gen. Selenops Latreille, 1819". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-05.

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