Haplinis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haplinis |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Linyphiidae |
| Genus: | Haplinis Simon, 1894 |
| Type species | |
| H. subclathrata Simon, 1894
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| Species | |
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39, see text |
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| Synonyms | |
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Haplinis is a genus of tiny spiders, often called dwarf spiders. They belong to a spider family known as Linyphiidae. These spiders are mostly found in the South Pacific region, especially in Australia and New Zealand. The first time scientists officially described this group of spiders was in 1894 by a French scientist named Eugène Simon.
Contents
What is a Genus?
In biology, a genus is a way to group living things that are very similar to each other. Think of it like a family name for different types of animals or plants. For example, all Haplinis spiders share many common features, making them part of the same genus. This helps scientists organize and understand the huge variety of life on Earth.
Meet the Dwarf Spiders
Haplinis spiders are part of the Linyphiidae family, which is one of the largest spider families in the world. They are often called "dwarf spiders" because they are usually very small. Many of them are less than 5 millimeters long! Even though they are tiny, they are very important parts of their ecosystems.
Where Do They Live?
Most Haplinis spiders live in the South Pacific. Their main homes are New Zealand and Australia. They can be found in many different places, from forests to grasslands. Because they are so small, they can live in hidden spots like under leaves, in moss, or in the cracks of tree bark.
What Do They Eat?
Like most spiders, Haplinis spiders are predators. This means they hunt and eat other small creatures. They mostly catch tiny insects and other small invertebrates. Their small size means they need very small prey to survive.
How Do They Catch Food?
Dwarf spiders, including Haplinis, often build small, sheet-like webs. These webs are not the big, round ones you might think of. Instead, they are often flat or dome-shaped. They use these webs to trap their tiny prey. When an insect gets caught, the spider quickly moves in to catch it.
Species of Haplinis
As of May 2019, there are thirty-nine known species in the Haplinis genus. Most of these species are found in New Zealand. Only one, Haplinis australis, is found in Australia. The very first species described, Haplinis subclathrata, is considered the "type species" for the genus. This means it's the main example that defines the group.
Here is a list of the known Haplinis species:
- Haplinis abbreviata (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis alticola Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis anomala Blest & Vink, 2003 – New Zealand
- Haplinis antipodiana Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis attenuata Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis australis Blest & Vink, 2003 – Australia (Tasmania)
- Haplinis banksi (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis brevipes (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand (Chatham Is.)
- Haplinis chiltoni (Hogg, 1911) – New Zealand
- Haplinis contorta (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis diloris (Urquhart, 1886) – New Zealand
- Haplinis dunstani (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis exigua Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis fluviatilis (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis fucatinia (Urquhart, 1894) – New Zealand
- Haplinis fulvolineata Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis horningi (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis inexacta (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis innotabilis (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis insignis (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis major (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis marplesi Blest & Vink, 2003 – New Zealand
- Haplinis minutissima (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis morainicola Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis mundenia (Urquhart, 1894) – New Zealand
- Haplinis paradoxa (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis redacta (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis rufocephala (Urquhart, 1888) – New Zealand
- Haplinis rupicola (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis silvicola (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis similis (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis subclathrata Simon, 1894 (type) – New Zealand
- Haplinis subdola (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880) – New Zealand
- Haplinis subtilis Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis taranakii (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis tegulata (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis titan (Blest, 1979) – New Zealand
- Haplinis tokaanuae Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
- Haplinis wairarapa Blest & Vink, 2002 – New Zealand
See also
In Spanish: Haplinis para niños
