Revision and cladistic analysis of Smeringopus
Published in Zootaxa 3461 (2012): 1-138)

When Kraus (1957) published the only previous revision of Smeringopus, only about 100 adult specimens (other than S. pallidus) were available to him, representing eight species. Since then, intensive collecting in many African countries has increased the number of available specimens to over 3000, but not a single further species has been described. The present paper provides a long overdue update of Kraus’s revision, it gives an overview of the genus, redescribes as many as possible of the ‘old’ species, and describes a large part of the new species available in collections. With 55 species, Smeringopus becomes the most species rich pholcid genus in Africa.


The present paper also provides a first cladistic analysis of Smeringopus and of Smeringopinae, including representatives of all operational species groups of Smeringopus and of all other genera currently assigned to Smeringopinae.