3 New Species of Wafer Trapdoor Spiders Discovered in Brazil
Posted on November 20, 2013
Scientists have discovered three new species of wafter trapdoor spiders in Brazil. The spiders belong to the genus, Fufius. The include F. minusculus, F. jalapensis, and F. candango. A female Fufius lucasae is pictured above.
The spiders make wafer-like doors to their silken tube homes. These silken tubes are built into crevices. The research paper about the newly discovered trapdoor spiders was published here in ZooKeys.
Dr. Rogerio Bertani, one of the authors of the study, says in the announcement, "What is curious about the genus Fufius is the wide distribution of the species. Normally, mygalomorphs have a very restricted distribution. Furthermore, the genus has species living in contrasting environments as the Amazon, Savannah, and Brazilian Atlantic forest. This makes the genus a potential model for biogeographic studies."
