Haplogynae Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - Holocene, 164–0 Ma |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Informal group: | Haplogynae |
Families | |
See text. |
See text.
The Haplogynae or haplogynes are one of the two main groups into which araneomorph spiders have traditionally been divided. Morphological phylogenetic studies suggested that the Haplogynae formed a clade; more recent molecular phylogenetic studies refute this.
Unlike the Entelegynae, haplogynes lack hardened (sclerotized) female genitalia (epigynes).
Most of the species within this group have six eyes, as opposed to most other spiders. Spiders in the genus Tetrablemma (Tetrablemmidae) have only four eyes, as do some members of the family Caponiidae; caponiids may even have only two eyes. However, spiders in the family Plectreuridae have the normal eight eyes.
The Haplogynae are one of the two major groups into which araneomorph spiders were traditionally divided, the other being the Entelegynae. In 2005, Coddington summarized the relationships of these groups as suggested by morphological phylogenetic studies:
Haplogynae
Subsequent molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed the monophyly of some of the groups suggested by morphological studies, while rejecting many others.
A study published in 2015 suggested that two families formerly placed in the Haplogynae do not belong there. Filistatidae groups with Hypochilidae at the base of the Haplogynae; Leptonetidae is basal to the Entelegynae. The similarity of some morphological features of Leptonetidae to those of entelegynes had already been noted.