''Selenogyrus'' is a genus of

spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species d ...

, or more specifically, selenogyrine

theraphosid Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

is ''

Selenogyrus caeruleus ''Selenogyrus caeruleus'' is a species of tarantula (family Theraphosidae, subfamily SelenogyrinaeSmith, A. M. (1990). ''Baboon spiders: Tarantulas of Africa and the Middle East''. Fitzgerald Publishing, London, pp. 1-142) native to Sierra Leone. ...

''.''Selenogyrus'' Pocock, 1897
''World Spider Catalog''. Natural History Museum of Bern. Retrieved February 12, 2016.

Characteristic features

''Selenogyrus'' has no rastellum (spines for digging) on the front of the

chelicera 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 similarly ...

e. This distinguishes it from ''

Euphrictus ''Euphrictus'' is a genus of tarantula (family Theraphosidae) which is found in Africa. It is part of the subfamily Selenogyrinae. Taxonomy The genus ''Euphrictus'' was erected by A.S. Hirst in 1908 for the species '' Euphrictus spinosus'', des ...

''. The

stridulatory Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mech ...

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. T ...

e on the chelicerae are clavate (

scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...

shaped).Smith, A. M. (1990c). Baboon spiders: Tarantulas of Africa and the Middle East. Fitzgerald Publishing, London, pp. 137. Retrieved February 12, 2016.

Species

*''

Selenogyrus africanus ''Selenogyrus africanus'' is a species of tarantula, which is native to the Ivory Coast and is a member of the Selenogyrinae subfamily.

'' *''

Selenogyrus aureus ''Selenogyrus aureus'' is a species of tarantula, in the subfamily Selenogyrinae. It is endemic Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by L ...

'' *''

Selenogyrus austini ''Selenogyrus austini'' is a theraphosid spider. As of February 2016, it is a member of the selenogyrinae. It is native to Sierra Leone.

'' *''

Selenogyrus brunneus ''Selenogyrus brunneus'' is a species of tarantula (family Theraphosidae, subfamily Selenogyrinae), found in West Africa (likely Togo).Smith, A. M. (1990c). ''Baboon spiders: Tarantulas of Africa and the Middle East''. Fitzgerald Publishing, Lond ...

'' *''

References

Theraphosidae Theraphosidae genera Spiders of Africa {{Theraphosidae-stub