• Source: Mastophora (spider)

      • Mastophora, also known as bolas spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by E. L. Holmberg in 1876. They can be identified by a pair of lumps on the dorsal surface of the opisthosoma, though not all males will have these lumps.
      Adult females of the genus snare prey mid-air by using a silk line with an adhesive blob on the end, similar to bolas used by South American gauchos. They feed on flying insects, particularly moths, sometimes releasing pheromones that mimic those of their prey to attract them. Males and juvenile females capture their prey directly with their legs. Mastophora spiders have extreme sexual size dimorphism: adult females reach 0,75 inches (19 mm), while adult males are smaller than 0,067 inches (1,7 mm). These spiders reach maturity after two instars, or fewer. Cephalothorax often with dorsal protuberances, frequently paired. Female abdomen large, wider than long, an occasion has dorsal humps or lobes. Prey specialization by means of aggressive chemical mimicry.


      Species



      As of April 2019 it contains fifty species:

      Mastophora abalosi Urtubey & Báez, 1983 – Argentina
      Mastophora alachua Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora alvareztoroi Ibarra & Jiménez, 2003 – USA, Mexico
      Mastophora apalachicola Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora archeri Gertsch, 1955 – USA
      Mastophora bisaccata (Emerton, 1884) – USA, Mexico
      Mastophora brescoviti Levi, 2003 – Brazil
      Mastophora caesariata Eberhard & Levi, 2006 – Costa Rica
      Mastophora carpogaster Mello-Leitão, 1925 – Brazil
      Mastophora catarina Levi, 2003 – Brazil
      Mastophora comma Báez & Urtubey, 1985 – Argentina
      Mastophora conica Levi, 2006 – Argentina
      Mastophora conifera (Holmberg, 1876) – Argentina
      Mastophora cornigera (Hentz, 1850) – USA to Nicaragua
      Mastophora corpulenta (Banks, 1898) – Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil
      Mastophora corumbatai Levi, 2003 – Brazil
      Mastophora cranion Mello-Leitão, 1928 – Brazil
      Mastophora diablo Levi, 2003 – Argentina
      Mastophora dizzydeani Eberhard, 1981 – Colombia, Peru
      Mastophora escomeli Levi, 2003 – Peru
      Mastophora extraordinaria Holmberg, 1876 – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
      Mastophora fasciata Reimoser, 1939 – Costa Rica, Venezuela
      Mastophora felda Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora felis Piza, 1976 – Brazil
      Mastophora gasteracanthoides (Nicolet, 1849) – Chile
      Mastophora haywardi Birabén, 1946 – Argentina
      Mastophora holmbergi Canals, 1931 – Paraguay, Argentina
      Mastophora hutchinsoni Gertsch, 1955 – USA, Canada
      Mastophora lara Levi, 2003 – Venezuela
      Mastophora leucabulba (Gertsch, 1955) – USA to Honduras
      Mastophora leucacantha (Simon, 1897) – Brazil
      Mastophora longiceps Mello-Leitão, 1940 – Brazil
      Mastophora melloleitaoi Canals, 1931 – Brazil, Argentina
      Mastophora obtusa Mello-Leitão, 1936 – Brazil
      Mastophora pesqueiro Levi, 2003 – Brazil
      Mastophora phrynosoma Gertsch, 1955 – USA
      Mastophora pickeli Mello-Leitão, 1931 – Brazil
      Mastophora piras Levi, 2003 – Brazil
      Mastophora rabida Levi, 2003 – Ecuador (Galapagos Is.)
      Mastophora reimoseri Levi, 2003 – Paraguay
      Mastophora satan Canals, 1931 – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
      Mastophora satsuma Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora seminole Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora soberiana Levi, 2003 – Panama
      Mastophora stowei Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora timuqua Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora vaquera Gertsch, 1955 – Cuba
      Mastophora yacare Levi, 2003 – Uruguay
      Mastophora yeargani Levi, 2003 – USA
      Mastophora ypiranga Levi, 2003 – Brazil


      References

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