Male and female of the Seychellian endemic species Cenemus culiculus.
| The Seychelles
offer a fascinating combination of beautiful beaches and lush tropical
forest. However, a closer look reveals that much of the flora and fauna
is not native but introduced by humans over the centuries. The pholcid
spiders in the Seychelles are no exception. Of the twelve species known
from the archipelago (ten published, two unpublished), eight are
introduced: Artema atlanta, Crossopriza lyoni, Micropholcus fauroti,
Modisimus culicinus, Physocyclus globosus, Smeringopus pallidus,
Uthina luzonica, and an
undescribed East Asian Spermophora.
Only one genus seems to be endemic, and this genus (Cenemus) is of particular interest
because it seems to be more closely related to Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern taxa (such as Holocnemus,
Crossopriza, Hoplopholcus, etc.) than with
Subsaharan taxa (Smeringopus and
Smeringopina). |
Male and female of the Seychellian endemic species Cenemus culiculus. |