home   about   search

biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Solpugidae

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthropoda > Arachnomorpha > Cheliceriformes > Chelicerata > Euchelicerata > Arachnida > Solifugae

A predominantly African family of solifuges but its distribution also includes southern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. There are 17 genera and 191 species, with 11 genera and 98 species native to southern Africa.

Genera native to southern Africa

Information from Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. (2006) and Harvey (2003).

Metasolpuga

One species, Metasolpuga picta, which has been recorded from Damaraland in Namibia.

 

Prosolpuga

One species, Prosolpuga schultzei, recorded from Redbank, near Walvis Bay, Namibia.

 

Solpuga

An African genus of 33 species, 16 of which have been recorded from southern Africa.

 

Solpugassa 

Six species, with one, Solpugassa furcifera, recorded from southern Africa - its distribution includes Angola and Namibia.

 

Solpugema 

Tweny-nine species, with 28 recorded from southern Africa. The remaining species has been recorded from Angola.

 

Solpugiba 

Four species, with three recorded from southern Africa and the forth from Kenya.

 

Solpugista 

All four species are known only from Namibia.

 

Solpuguna 

Five species, all endemic to southern Africa.

 

Solpugyla 

An African genus containing 10 species, four of which have been recorded from southern Africa.

 

Zeria 

An African genus containing 60 species, 29 of which have been recorded from southern Africa.

 

Zeriassa

An African genus of 17 recorded species, six of which have been recorded from southern Africa.

 

Publications

  • Dippenaar-Schoeman A, Gonzalez Reyers AX, Harvey MS. 2006. A check-list of the Solifugae (sun spiders) of South Africa (Arachnida: Solifugae). African Plant Protection 12:70-92.
  • Harvey MS. 2003. Catalogue of the smaller arachnid orders of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Text by Norman Larsen ©