Download or read book The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region written by Sarah C. Crews and published by PenSoft Publishers LTD. This book was released on 2011-05-19 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ÿThe Selenopidae are a family of medium to large spiders with extremely flattened bodies. They are exceptional in that both their running and striking speeds place them amongst the world?s fastest animals. They occur in all habitable continents but are most abundant in tropical and adjacent realms. Selenopid spiders are usually found under rocks or under tree bark, and have the ability to squeeze into tight crevices. The family currently comprises around 200 species in five genera. In this monograph, four new genera and 27 new species are described from Australia and the Oriental Region, bringing the world total to nine genera and over 230 species. Several species previously placed in Selenops are transferred to the new genera. The Australian fauna is found to be more diverse than previously documented with a total of 24 species, 23 of which are new. A key to the genera of Selenopidae is provided, as are keys to the species of the new genera Karaops and Makdiops.