''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 (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: *''Ctenus abditus, C. abditus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, Tanzania *''Ctenus adustus, C. adustus'' (Eugen von Keyserling, Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *''Ctenus agroecoides, C. agroecoides'' (Tamerlan Thorell, Thorell, 1881) – Australia (Queensland) *''Ctenus albofasciatus, C. albofasciatus'' Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *''Ctenus alienus, C. alienus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala *''Ctenus amanensis, C. amanensis'' Embrik Strand, Strand, 1907 – East Africa *''Ctenus amphora, C. amphora'' Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão, Mello-Leitão, 1930 – Colombia, Brazil, Guyana *''Ctenus anahitaeformis, C. anahitaeformis'' Benoit, 1981 – Burundi *''Ctenus anahitiformis, C. anahitiformis'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *''Ctenus auricomus, C. auricomus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *''Ctenus avidus, C. avidus'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus bahamensis, C. bahamensis'' Strand, 1907 – Bahama Is. *''Ctenus bicolor, C. bicolor'' (Philipp Bertkau, Bertkau, 1880) – Brazil *''Ctenus bigibbosus, C. bigibbosus'' Benoit, 1980 – Congo *''Ctenus bilobatus, C. bilobatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *''Ctenus blumenauensis, C. blumenauensis'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *''Ctenus bolivicola, C. bolivicola'' Strand, 1907 – Bolivia *''Ctenus bueanus, C. bueanus'' Strand, 1916 – Cameroon *''Ctenus calcaratus, C. calcaratus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala *''Ctenus calderitas, C. calderitas'' Alayón, 2002 – Mexico *''Ctenus caligineus, C. caligineus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *''Ctenus captiosus, C. captiosus'' Willis J. Gertsch, Gertsch, 1935 – USA *''Ctenus capulinus, C. capulinus'' (Ferdinand Karsch, Karsch, 1879) – West, Central Africa *''Ctenus catherine, C. catherine'' Polotow & Antônio Brescovit, Brescovit, 2012 – Jamaica *''Ctenus cavaticus, C. cavaticus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, Angola *''Ctenus celisi, C. celisi'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus coccineipes, C. coccineipes'' Pocock, 1903 – West, Central Africa *''Ctenus colombianus, C. colombianus'' Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia *''Ctenus colonicus, C. colonicus'' Arts, 1912 – East Africa *''Ctenus complicatus, C. complicatus'' Franganillo, 1946 – Cuba *''Ctenus constrictus, C. constrictus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus convexus, C. convexus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico to Costa Rica *''Ctenus cruciatus, C. cruciatus'' Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba *''Ctenus crulsi, C. crulsi'' Mello-Leitão, 1930 – Brazil *''Ctenus darlingtoni, C. darlingtoni'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus datus, C. datus'' Strand, 1909 – Ecuador *''Ctenus decemnotatus, C. decemnotatus'' Eugène Simon, Simon, 1910 – Guinea-Bissau *''Ctenus decorus, C. decorus'' (Carl Eduard Adolph Gerstaecker, Gerstäcker, 1873) – East Africa *''Ctenus delesserti, C. delesserti'' (Lodovico di Caporiacco, Caporiacco, 1947) – Guyana *''Ctenus denticulatus, C. denticulatus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus dilucidus, C. dilucidus'' Simon, 1910 – Congo *''Ctenus doloensis, C. doloensis'' Caporiacco, 1940 – Ethiopia *''Ctenus drassoides, C. drassoides'' (Karsch, 1879) – Colombia *''Ctenus dreyeri, C. dreyeri'' Strand, 1906 – Cameroon *''Ctenus dubius, C. dubius'' Walckenaer, 1805 (Type species, type) – French Guiana *''Ctenus efferatus, C. efferatus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo *''Ctenus elgonensis, C. elgonensis'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *''Ctenus ellacomei, C. ellacomei'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – Suriname *''Ctenus embolus, C. embolus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus ensiger, C. ensiger'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *''Ctenus esculentus, C. esculentus'' Arts, 1912 – Cameroon, Congo *''Ctenus excavatus, C. excavatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Mexico *''Ctenus exlineae, C. exlineae'' Peck, 1981 – USA *''Ctenus facetus, C. facetus'' Arts, 1912 – Congo, East Africa *''Ctenus falcatus, C. falcatus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – St. Lucia *''Ctenus falciformis, C. falciformis'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus falconensis, C. falconensis'' Schenkel, 1953 – Venezuela *''Ctenus fasciatus, C. fasciatus'' Mello-Leitão, 1943 – Brazil *''Ctenus fernandae, C. fernandae'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *''Ctenus feshius, C. feshius'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *''Ctenus guantanamo, C. guantanamo'' (Alayón, 2001) – Cuba *''Ctenus gulosus, C. gulosus'' Arts, 1912 – South Africa *''Ctenus haina, C. haina'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus haitiensis, C. haitiensis'' Strand, 1909 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus hibernalis, C. hibernalis'' Nicholas Marcellus Hentz, Hentz, 1844 – USA *''Ctenus hiemalis, C. hiemalis'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus holmi, C. holmi'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *''Ctenus humilis, C. humilis'' (Keyserling, 1887) – Nicaragua *''Ctenus hygrophilus, C. hygrophilus'' Benoit, 1977 – Congo *''Ctenus idjwiensis, C. idjwiensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *''Ctenus igatu, C. igatu'' Polotow, Cizauskas & Brescovit, 2022 – Brazil *''Ctenus inaja, C. inaja'' Höfer, Brescovit & Gasnier, 1994 – Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil *''Ctenus insulanus, C. insulanus'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus jaminauensis, C. jaminauensis'' Mello-Leitão, 1936 – Brazil *''Ctenus jaragua, C. jaragua'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus kenyamontanus, C. kenyamontanus'' Benoit, 1978 – Kenya *''Ctenus kipatimus, C. kipatimus'' Benoit, 1981 – Tanzania *''Ctenus lacertus, C. lacertus'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *''Ctenus latitabundus, C. latitabundus'' Arts, 1912 – Central, East Africa *''Ctenus lejeunei, C. lejeunei'' Benoit, 1977 – Congo *''Ctenus leonardi, C. leonardi'' Simon, 1910 – West Africa *''Ctenus levipes, C. levipes'' Arts, 1912 – Tanzania *''Ctenus longicalcar, C. longicalcar'' Kraus, 1955 – El Salvador *''Ctenus lubwensis, C. lubwensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *''Ctenus macellarius, C. macellarius'' Simon, 1910 – Congo *''Ctenus maculatus, C. maculatus'' Franganillo, 1931 – Cuba *''Ctenus maculisternis, C. maculisternis'' Strand, 1909 – Bolivia, Brazil *''Ctenus magnificus, C. magnificus'' Arts, 1912 – West Africa *''Ctenus malvernensis, C. malvernensis'' Alexander Petrunkevitch, Petrunkevitch, 1910 – Jamaica *''Ctenus manauara, C. manauara'' Höfer, Brescovit & Gasnier, 1994 – Brazil *''Ctenus manni, C. manni'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus medius, C. medius'' Keyserling, 1891 – Panama, Brazil *''Ctenus minimus, C. minimus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – North America *''Ctenus minor, C. minor'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *''Ctenus mitchelli, C. mitchelli'' Gertsch, 1971 – Mexico *''Ctenus modestus, C. modestus'' Simon, 1897 – Tanzania (Zanzibar, Kenya) *''Ctenus monticola, C. monticola'' Bryant, 1948 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus musosanus, C. musosanus'' Benoit, 1979 – Congo *''Ctenus naranjo, C. naranjo'' Alayón, 2004 – Hispaniola *''Ctenus nigritarsis, C. nigritarsis'' (Pavesi, 1897) – Ethiopia *''Ctenus nigritus, C. nigritus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *''Ctenus nigrolineatus, C. nigrolineatus'' Lucien Berland, Berland, 1913 – Ecuador *''Ctenus nigromaculatus, C. nigromaculatus'' Thorell, 1899 – Central, West Africa *''Ctenus noctuabundus, C. noctuabundus'' Arts, 1912 – Kenya *''Ctenus obscurus, C. obscurus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *''Ctenus oligochronius, C. oligochronius'' Arts, 1912 – East Africa *''Ctenus ornatus, C. ornatus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Brazil *''Ctenus ottleyi, C. ottleyi'' (Petrunkevitch, 1930) – Puerto Rico *''Ctenus paranus, C. paranus'' Strand, 1909 – Brazil *''Ctenus parvoculatus, C. parvoculatus'' Benoit, 1979 – South Africa *''Ctenus parvus, C. parvus'' (Keyserling, 1877) – Colombia *''Ctenus paubrasil, C. paubrasil'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *''Ctenus pauloterrai, C. pauloterrai'' Brescovit & Simó, 2007 – Brazil *''Ctenus peregrinus, C. peregrinus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Guatemala, Costa Rica *''Ctenus pilosus, C. pilosus'' Franganillo, 1930 – Cuba *''Ctenus pogonias, C. pogonias'' Thorell, 1899 – Cameroon *''Ctenus potteri, C. potteri'' Simon, 1901 – Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko) *''Ctenus pulchriventris, C. pulchriventris'' (Simon, 1897) – Zimbabwe, South Africa *''Ctenus racenisi, C. racenisi'' Caporiacco, 1955 – Venezuela *''Ctenus ramosi, C. ramosi'' Alayón, 2002 – Cuba *''Ctenus ravidus, C. ravidus'' (Simon, 1886) – Argentina *''Ctenus rectipes, C. rectipes'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil, Guyana *''Ctenus renivulvatus, C. renivulvatus'' Strand, 1906 – Ghana *''Ctenus rivulatus, C. rivulatus'' Pocock, 1900 – Cameroon, Gabon *''Ctenus rubripes, C. rubripes'' Keyserling, 1881 – Panama, Ecuador *''Ctenus rwandanus, C. rwandanus'' Benoit, 1981 – Rwanda *''Ctenus saltensis, C. saltensis'' Strand, 1909 – Argentina, Bolivia *''Ctenus satanas, C. satanas'' Strand, 1909 – Ecuador *''Ctenus serratipes, C. serratipes'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil *''Ctenus serrichelis, C. serrichelis'' Mello-Leitão, 1922 – Brazil *''Ctenus sexmaculatus, C. sexmaculatus'' Roewer, 1961 – Senegal *''Ctenus siankaan, C. siankaan'' Alayón, 2002 – Mexico *''Ctenus sigma, C. sigma'' (Schenkel, 1953) – Venezuela *''Ctenus silvaticus, C. silvaticus'' Benoit, 1981 – Congo *''Ctenus similis, C. similis'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Brazil *''Ctenus somaliensis, C. somaliensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Somalia *''Ctenus spectabilis, C. spectabilis'' Lessert, 1921 – DR Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa *''Ctenus spiculus, C. spiculus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Colombia *''Ctenus spiralis, C. spiralis'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Costa Rica *''Ctenus supinus, C. supinus'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 – Costa Rica *''Ctenus tenuipes, C. tenuipes'' Denis, 1955 – Guinea *''Ctenus torvus, C. torvus'' Pavesi, 1883 – Ethiopia *''Ctenus transvaalensis, C. transvaalensis'' Benoit, 1981 – South Africa *''Ctenus trinidensis, C. trinidensis'' (Alayón, 2001) – Trinidad *''Ctenus uluguruensis, C. uluguruensis'' Benoit, 1979 – Tanzania *''Ctenus undulatus, C. undulatus'' Steyn & Van der Donckt, 2003 – Ivory Coast *''Ctenus unilineatus, C. unilineatus'' Simon, 1898 – St. Vincent *''Ctenus vagus, C. vagus'' John Blackwall, Blackwall, 1866 – West Africa *''Ctenus validus, C. validus'' Denis, 1955 – Guinea *''Ctenus valverdiensis, C. valverdiensis'' Peck, 1981 – USA *''Ctenus vatovae, C. vatovae'' Caporiacco, 1940 – Ethiopia *''Ctenus vehemens, C. vehemens'' Keyserling, 1891 – Brazil *''Ctenus vespertilio, C. vespertilio'' Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Colombia *''Ctenus villasboasi, C. villasboasi'' Mello-Leitão, 1949 – Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil *''Ctenus vividus, C. vividus'' Blackwall, 1865 – Central Africa *''Ctenus w-notatus, C. w-notatus'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 – Panama *''Ctenus walckenaeri, C. walckenaeri'' Griffith, 1833 – possibly South America

References

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