Caerostris Thorell, 1868

Genus Caerostris Thorell, 1868 View in CoL

Caerostris Thorell, 1868: 4 View in CoL , 7–8.

Trichocharis Simon, 1895 by Grasshoff 1984: 727 (transfer of type species).

Type species

Epeira mitralis Vinson, 1863 , designated by Thorell, 1868: 4.

Diagnosis

Caerostris spiders of both sexes differ from other araneids by the following combination of somatic characteristics: prosoma and opisthosoma wider than long, head region of the prosoma wide and elevated from the thoracic region, prosoma with a frontal rostrum, cheliceral furrow smooth rather than denticulated, females with two pairs of median prosomal projections (one pair or none in males), sternal tubercule adjacent to coxae IV, median and lateral eyes grouped on separate tubercules, presence of abdominal sigillae, legs I, II, and IV with flattened and hairy patellae, tibiae, and metatarsi, femur IV with spatulate setae, the ventro-lateral abdominal sclerotization in several rather than one line of small dots ( Grasshoff 1984; Kuntner et al. 2008; Kuntner & Agnarsson 2010; Gregorič et al. 2015b). Caerostris differ from other araneids by the following genital features: female epigynum with paired epigynal hooks anteriorly ( Figs 3–7 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ), male palp with large subtegulum, cymbial ectal margin sclerotized as cymbium rather than transparent, absence of paracymbium ( Figs 4 View Fig , 7 View Fig ) ( Kuntner et al. 2008; Kuntner & Agnarsson 2010; Gregorič et al. 2015b).

Species composition (reestablished and newly described species in bold)

Caerostris almae Gregorič, 2015 ; Caerostris bankana Strand, 1915 ; Caerostris bojani Gregorič, 2015 ; Caerostris corticosa Pocock, 1902 ; Caerostris cowani Butler, 1882 ; Caerostris darwini Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2010 ; Caerostris ecclesiigera Butler, 1882 ; Caerostris extrusa Butler, 1882 ; Caerostris hirsuta ( Simon, 1895) ; Caerostris indica Strand, 1915 ; Caerostris kuntneri Gregorič sp. nov.; Caerostris linnaeus Gregorič, 2015 ; Caerostris mayottensis Grasshoff, 1984 ; Caerostris mitralis ( Vinson, 1863) ; Caerostris pero Gregorič, 2015 ; Caerostris sexcuspidata ( Fabricius, 1793) ; Caerostris sumatrana Strand, 1915 ; Caerostris tinamaze Gregorič, 2015 ; Caerostris vicina ( Blackwall, 1866) ; Caerostris wallacei Gregorič, 2015 .