Hygropoda

Hygropoda
Hygropoda sp.
Hygropoda sp.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Pisauridae
Genus: Hygropoda
Thorell, 1894
Type species
H. prognatha
Thorell, 1894
Species

26, see text

Hygropoda is a genus of nursery web spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1894.

Distribution

Spiders in this genus are found in Asia and Africa, with H. lineata reaching Australia.

Life style

These are arboreal diurnal and nocturnal spiders that hunt on small sheet-webs over leaves in forest areas.

Description

Males and females are of similar size, with live specimens appearing green in colour. The carapace profile is flat with a steep clypeus. The eyes are arranged in two rows and are subequal in size, with the anterior lateral eyes being smallest. The eyes of the posterior row are larger than those of the anterior row, and the median ocular quadrangle is narrower anteriorly than posteriorly.

The abdomen is long and slender, tapering towards the back. The legs are very long, with the tarsi of both males and females being curved and pseudosegmented. The trochanters have shallow notches.

Taxonomy

The African species have not been revised.

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes 26 species and one subspecies:

References

  1. ↑ Thorell, T. (1894). "Decas aranearum in ins. Singapore a Cel. Th. Workman inventarum". Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana. 26: 321–355.
  2. 1 2 3 "Genus Hygropoda". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Pisauridae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 32. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7157775. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.