''Ctenus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of wandering spiders first described by

Charles Athanase Walckenaer Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer (25 December 1771 – 28 April 1852) was a French civil servant, writer, man of letters, and scientist. He was a polymath and wrote extensively on geography, natural history, and literature. Major contributio ...

in 1805. It is widely distributed, from South America through Africa to East Asia. Little is known about the toxic potential of the genus ''Ctenus''; however, '' Ctenus medius'' has been shown to share some toxic properties with ''

Phoneutria nigriventer ''Phoneutria nigriventer'' is a species of medically-significant spider in the family Ctenidae, found in the Southern Cone of South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina). Along with other members of the genus, they are often referre ...

'', such as

proteolytic Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Protein degradation is a major regulatory mechanism of gene expression and contributes substantially to shaping mammalian proteomes. Uncatalysed, the hydrolysis o ...

hyaluronidase Hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that catalyse the degradation of hyaluronic acid. Karl Meyer classified these enzymes in 1971, into three distinct groups, a scheme based on the enzyme reaction products. The three main types of hyaluroni ...

and

phospholipase A phospholipase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids into fatty acids and other lipophilic substances. There are four major classes, termed A, B, C, and D, which are distinguished by the type of reaction which they catalyze: *Phospholipase ...

activities, in addition to producing

hyperalgesia Hyperalgesia ( or ; ''hyper'' from Greek ὑπέρ (''huper'') 'over' + ''-algesia'' from Greek ἄλγος (algos) 'pain') is an abnormally increased sensitivity to pain, which may be caused by damage to nociceptors or peripheral nerves and ...

and

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

. The venom of ''C. medius'' also interferes with the

complement system The complement system, also known as complement cascade, is a part of the humoral, innate immune system and enhances (complements) the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, promote inf ...

in concentrations in which the venom of ''P. nigriventer'' is inactive, indicating that some species in the genus may have a medically significant venom. The venom of ''C. medius'' interferes with the

complement component 3 Complement may refer to: The arts * Complement (music), an interval that, when added to another, spans an octave ** Aggregate complementation, the separation of pitch-class collections into complementary sets * Complementary color, in the vi ...

(C3) of the complement system; it affects the central factor of the cascades of the complement, and interferes with the lytic activity of this system, which causes stronger activation and consumption of the complement components. Unlike ''C. medius'', the venom of ''P. nigriventer'' does not interfere with lytic activity.

Species

it contains 157 species: *'' C. abditus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, Tanzania *'' C. adustus'' ( Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *'' C. agroecoides'' ( Thorell, 1881) – Australia (Queensland) *'' C. albofasciatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *'' C. alienus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala *'' C. amanensis''

Strand Strand or The Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * ...

, 1907 – East Africa *'' C. amphora'' Mello-Leitão, 1930 – Colombia, Brazil, Guyana *'' C. anahitaeformis'' Benoit, 1981 – Burundi *'' C. anahitiformis'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *'' C. auricomus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *'' C. avidus'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. bahamensis'' Strand, 1907 – Bahama Is. *'' C. bicolor'' ( Bertkau, 1880) – Brazil *'' C. bigibbosus'' Benoit, 1980 – Congo *'' C. bilobatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *'' C. blumenauensis'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *'' C. bolivicola'' Strand, 1907 – Bolivia *'' C. bueanus'' Strand, 1916 – Cameroon *'' C. calcaratus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala *'' C. calderitas'' Alayón, 2002 – Mexico *'' C. caligineus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *'' C. captiosus'' Gertsch, 1935 – USA *'' C. capulinus'' ( Karsch, 1879) – West, Central Africa *'' C. catherine'' Polotow & Brescovit, 2012 – Jamaica *'' C. cavaticus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, Angola *'' C. celisi'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. coccineipes'' Pocock, 1903 – West, Central Africa *'' C. colombianus'' Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia *'' C. colonicus'' Arts, 1912 – East Africa *'' C. complicatus'' Franganillo, 1946 – Cuba *'' C. constrictus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. convexus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico to Costa Rica *'' C. cruciatus'' Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba *'' C. crulsi'' Mello-Leitão, 1930 – Brazil *'' C. darlingtoni'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. datus'' Strand, 1909 – Ecuador *'' C. decemnotatus'' Simon, 1910 – Guinea-Bissau *'' C. decorus'' ( Gerstäcker, 1873) – East Africa *'' C. delesserti'' ( Caporiacco, 1947) – Guyana *'' C. denticulatus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. dilucidus'' Simon, 1910 – Congo *'' C. doloensis'' Caporiacco, 1940 – Ethiopia *'' C. drassoides'' (Karsch, 1879) – Colombia *'' C. dreyeri'' Strand, 1906 – Cameroon *'' C. dubius'' Walckenaer, 1805 (

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

) – French Guiana *'' C. efferatus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo *'' C. elgonensis'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *'' C. ellacomei'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – Suriname *'' C. embolus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. ensiger'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *'' C. esculentus'' Arts, 1912 – Cameroon, Congo *'' C. excavatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *'' C. exlineae'' Peck, 1981 – USA *'' C. facetus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, East Africa *'' C. falcatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – St. Lucia *'' C. falciformis'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. falconensis'' Schenkel, 1953 – Venezuela *'' C. fasciatus'' Mello-Leitão, 1943 – Brazil *'' C. fernandae'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *'' C. feshius'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *'' C. guantanamo'' (Alayón, 2001) – Cuba *'' C. gulosus'' Arts, 1912 – South Africa *'' C. haina'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *'' C. haitiensis'' Strand, 1909 – Hispaniola *'' C. hibernalis'' Hentz, 1844 – USA *'' C. hiemalis'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. holmi'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *'' C. humilis'' (Keyserling, 1887) – Nicaragua *'' C. hygrophilus'' Benoit, 1977 – Congo *'' C. idjwiensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *'' C. igatu'' Polotow, Cizauskas & Brescovit, 2022 – Brazil *'' C. inaja'' Höfer, Brescovit & Gasnier, 1994 – Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil *'' C. insulanus'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. jaminauensis'' Mello-Leitão, 1936 – Brazil *'' C. jaragua'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *'' C. kenyamontanus'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *'' C. kipatimus'' Benoit, 1981 – Tanzania *'' C. lacertus'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *'' C. latitabundus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *'' C. lejeunei'' Benoit, 1977 – Congo *'' C. leonardi'' Simon, 1910 – West Africa *'' C. levipes'' Arts, 1912 – Tanzania *'' C. longicalcar'' Kraus, 1955 – El Salvador *'' C. lubwensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *'' C. macellarius'' Simon, 1910 – Congo *'' C. maculatus'' Franganillo, 1931 – Cuba *'' C. maculisternis'' Strand, 1909 – Bolivia, Brazil *'' C. magnificus'' Arts, 1912 – West Africa *'' C. malvernensis'' Petrunkevitch, 1910 – Jamaica *'' C. manauara'' Höfer, Brescovit & Gasnier, 1994 – Brazil *'' C. manni'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. medius'' Keyserling, 1891 – Panama, Brazil *'' C. minimus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – North America *'' C. minor'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *'' C. mitchelli'' Gertsch, 1971 – Mexico *'' C. modestus'' Simon, 1897 – Tanzania (Zanzibar, Kenya) *'' C. monticola'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *'' C. musosanus'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *'' C. naranjo'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *'' C. nigritarsis'' (Pavesi, 1897) – Ethiopia *'' C. nigritus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *'' C. nigrolineatus''

Berland Berland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *André Berland (1940–2025), French historian and biographer *Bjørn Berland (born 1977), Norwegian footballer *Eliezer Berland (born 1937), Israeli Breslov rabbi *François Berléan ...

, 1913 – Ecuador *'' C. nigromaculatus'' Thorell, 1899 – Central, West Africa *'' C. noctuabundus'' Arts, 1912 – Kenya *'' C. obscurus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *'' C. oligochronius'' Arts, 1912 – East Africa *'' C. ornatus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Brazil *'' C. ottleyi'' (Petrunkevitch, 1930) – Puerto Rico *'' C. paranus'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *'' C. parvoculatus'' Benoit, 1979 – South Africa *'' C. parvus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *'' C. paubrasil'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *'' C. pauloterrai'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *'' C. peregrinus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala, Costa Rica *'' C. pilosus'' Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba *'' C. pogonias'' Thorell, 1899 – Cameroon *'' C. potteri'' Simon, 1901 – Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko) *'' C. pulchriventris'' (Simon, 1897) – Zimbabwe, South Africa *'' C. racenisi'' Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela *'' C. ramosi'' Alayón, 2002 – Cuba *'' C. ravidus'' (Simon, 1886) – Argentina *'' C. rectipes'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil, Guyana *'' C. renivulvatus'' Strand, 1906 – Ghana *'' C. rivulatus'' Pocock, 1900 – Cameroon, Gabon *'' C. rubripes'' Keyserling, 1881 – Panama, Ecuador *'' C. rwandanus'' Benoit, 1981 – Rwanda *'' C. saltensis'' Strand, 1909 – Argentina, Bolivia *'' C. satanas'' Strand, 1909 – Ecuador *'' C. serratipes'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil *'' C. serrichelis'' Mello-Leitão, 1922 – Brazil *'' C. sexmaculatus'' Roewer, 1961 – Senegal *'' C. siankaan'' Alayón, 2002 – Mexico *'' C. sigma'' (Schenkel, 1953) – Venezuela *'' C. silvaticus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *'' C. similis'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *'' C. somaliensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Somalia *'' C. spectabilis'' Lessert, 1921 – DR Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa *'' C. spiculus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Colombia *'' C. spiralis'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Costa Rica *'' C. supinus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Costa Rica *'' C. tenuipes'' Denis, 1955 – Guinea *'' C. torvus'' Pavesi, 1883 – Ethiopia *'' C. transvaalensis'' Benoit, 1981 – South Africa *'' C. trinidensis'' (Alayón, 2001) – Trinidad *'' C. uluguruensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Tanzania *'' C. undulatus'' Steyn & Van der Donckt, 2003 – Ivory Coast *'' C. unilineatus'' Simon, 1898 – St. Vincent *'' C. vagus'' Blackwall, 1866 – West Africa *'' C. validus'' Denis, 1955 – Guinea *'' C. valverdiensis'' Peck, 1981 – USA *'' C. vatovae'' Caporiacco, 1940 – Ethiopia *'' C. vehemens'' Keyserling, 1891 – Brazil *'' C. vespertilio'' Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia *'' C. villasboasi'' Mello-Leitão, 1949 – Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil *'' C. vividus'' Blackwall, 1865 – Central Africa *'' C. w-notatus'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 – Panama *'' C. walckenaeri'' Griffith, 1833 – possibly South America

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q609703 Ctenidae genera Cosmopolitan spiders Ctenidae Taxa named by Charles Athanase Walckenaer