''Periegops keani'' is a species of spider in the genus ''

Periegops ''Periegops'' is a genus of spiders with six eyes instead of the usual eight. It is the only genus in its family (Periegopidae) and has three described species. It was long considered to be members of Sicariidae or Segestriidae until Raymond Fo ...

'' that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

Taxonomy

''Periegops keani'' was described in 2013. The species is named after John Kean, who helped collect type specimens.

Description

Like other members of the ''Periegops'' genus, ''P. keani'' has six eyes. The

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the und ...

is a red-orange colour on the anterior end but is orange on the posterior end. The abdomen is creamy brown and has a faint chevron pattern. The first pair of legs are orange brown with light orange ends, the other pairs of legs are yellow brown and darker at the proximal end.

Chelicerae The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as " jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or simila ...

are red brown.

Distribution and habitat

''Periegops keani'' occurs in forests with deep leaf litter layers and well drained soil. ''P. keani'' is only known from the

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island. It can also refer to the broader Gisborne cape. East Cape was originally named "C ...

and the Alderman Islands of New Zealand.

Behaviour

The species isn't known to build webs for prey capture, but rather web is used as drag lines and to build silk retreats. The related '' P. suterii'' is likely a fast moving

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

hunter.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15627567 Spiders described in 2013 Spiders of New Zealand Periegopidae