Olios

Genus: Olios

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthropoda > Arachnomorpha > Cheliceriformes > Chelicerata > Euchelicerata > Arachnida > Araneae > Araneomorpha > Family: Sparassidae (huntsman spiders)

Olios sp. [image N. Larsen ©]

About 251 species worldwide, of which 27 are recorded from southern Africa. Olios is a group of smaller spiders (Body length is 10-14 mm) within the Sparassidae that in general are either light brown and live under rocks (rupicolus) or green and live on trees (arboreal). The rock-dwelling species produce a flattish sac retreat and egg sac attached to the underside of a rock or stone. These spiders share a similar habitat to the flatties (Selenopidae).

Species native to southern Africa

Olios africanus (Karsch, 1878) Mozambique
Olios aristophanei Lessert, 1936 Mozambique
Olios biarmatus Lessert, 1925 South Africa
Olios brachycephalus Lawrence, 1938 South Africa
Olios chelifer Lawrence, 1937 South Africa
Olios chubbi Lessert, 1923 South Africa
Olios claviger (Pocock, 1901) South Africa
Olios correvoni choupangensis Lessert, 1936 Mozambique
Olios correvoni nigrifrons Lawrence, 1928 Southern Africa
Olios darlingi (Pocock, 1901) South Africa
Olios derasus (C. L. Koch,1845) South Africa
Olios detritus (C. L. Koch, 1845) South Africa
Olios fonticola (Pocock, 1902) South Africa
Olios furcatus Lawrence, 1927 Namibia
Olios guttipes (Simon, 1897) South Africa
Olios kruegeri (Simon, 1897) South Africa
Olios lacticolor Lawrence, 1952 South Africa
Olios machadoi Lawrence, 1952 South Africa
Olios maculinotatus Strand, 1909 South Africa
Olios marshalli (Pocock, 1898) South Africa
Olios provocator Walckenaer, 1837 South Africa
Olios schonlandi (Pocock, 1900) South Africa
Olios spenceri Pocock, 1896 South Africa
Olios spiculosus (Pocock, 1901) South Africa
Olios spinipalpis (Pocock, 1901) South Africa
Olios stictopus (Pocock, 1898) South Africa
Olios tuckeri Lawrence, 1927 Namibia
Olios zulu Simon, 1880 South Africa

Taxonomy

This genus has been used as a dumping ground for various species and in time many of these will probably be placed in other genera. For instance, the rupicolus species may in time be removed from Olios and placed in the genus Eusparassus. Olios it appears will be retained for the green arboreal species.