''Plectophanes'' 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 ...

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

araneomorph The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha or "true spiders") are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (taran ...

spiders in the family

Cycloctenidae Cycloctenidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by ...

, and was first described by E. B. Bryant in 1935. The eyes are positioned on an extension of the carapace that projects forward of the

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the arthropod mouthparts, 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 ...

Description

These spiders are distinguished from other cycloctenids by the positioning of the eyes on an extension of the carapace that projects forward of the chelicerae.

Species

it contains five species, all found in New Zealand: *'' Plectophanes altus'' Forster, 1964 – New Zealand *'' Plectophanes archeyi'' Forster, 1964 – New Zealand *'' Plectophanes frontalis'' Bryant, 1935 (

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. * ...

) – New Zealand *'' Plectophanes hollowayae'' Forster, 1964 – New Zealand *'' Plectophanes pilgrimi'' Forster, 1964 – New Zealand

Biology

Members of this genus are noted for living in holes in trees and branches. Their unusual eye arrangement allows them to observe approaching prey while the rest of the body remains concealed.

References

Araneomorphae genera Cycloctenidae Endemic spiders of New Zealand {{Cycloctenidae-stub