Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Superphylum: Ecdysozoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Classis: Arachnida
Ordo: Araneae
Subordo: Araneomorphae
Infraordo: Araneomorphi
Series: Entelegynae
Superfamilia: Araneoidea
Familia: Nephilidae
Genus: Clitaetra
Species: C. clathrata - C. episinoides - C. irenae - C. perroti - C. simoni - C. thisbe

Name

Clitaetra Simon, 1889

Type species: Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1889

References

* Kuntner, M. 2006. Phylogenetic systematics of the Gondwanan nephilid spider lineage Clitaetrinae (Araneae, Nephilidae). Zoologica Scripta 35: 19-62. PDF
* Platnick, N. I. 2008. The World Spider Catalog, version 9.0. American Museum of Natural History. [1]

Clitaetra is the least known of the four currently recognised nephilid spider genera. It occurs in Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka, hinting to a Gondwanan origin. The split between Clitaetra and other nephilids may be as old as 160 million years.[1]

The smallest species (C. thisbe) reaches 3.5 mm in female length, the biggest species can be as long as one centimeter.

Name

The etymology of the genus name is unknown.[1]

Species

Clitaetra clathrata Simon, 1907 (West Africa)
Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1889 (Comoro Is.)
Clitaetra irenae Kuntner, 2006 (South Africa)
Clitaetra perroti Simon, 1894 (Madagascar)
Clitaetra simoni Benoit, 1962 (Congo)
Clitaetra thisbe Simon, 1903 (Sri Lanka)

References

^ a b Kuntner, M. 2006. Phylogenetic systematics of the Gondwanan nephilid spider lineage Clitaetrinae (Araneae, Nephilidae). Zoologica Scripta 35(1):19-62. PDF