Melpomene (spider)

For other uses, see Melpomene (disambiguation).

Melpomene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Agelenidae
Genus: Melpomene
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898[1]
Type species
M. elegans
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898
Species

13, see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Ritalena

Melpomene is a genus of funnel weavers first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1898.[2] They range from southwestern U.S. (southern Arizona to western Texas) to Panama and can grow up to 7 to 8.5 millimetres (0.28 to 0.33 in) long. Roth and Brame noted that, with many undescribed species, the genus appears to be a catchall or "wastebasket taxon" for several unrelated species that may represent several genera.[3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NMBE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1898). Arachnida. Araneida.
  3. ^ Roth, V. D.; Brame, P. L. (1972). "Nearctic genera of the spider family Agelenidae (Arachnida, Araneida)" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2505): 1–51.