Heptathela

Heptathela is a genus of spiders that includes the Kimura spider (Heptathela kimurai). They are trapdoor spiders of the family Heptathelidae^[2] and are found in Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands.^[1] Spiders of this genus lack venom glands.^[3]

Heptathela
Heptathela kimurai
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Mesothelae
Family:	Heptathelidae
Genus:	Heptathela Kishida, 1923[1]
Species
See text
Diversity[1]
20 species

Females are up to 25 mm long, males slightly smaller. Burrows have an oval shaped door which is hinged across the long diameter.^[4]

Name

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek hepta "seven", referring to the number of spinneret glands.

Species

As of January 2022^[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:^[1]

• Heptathela aha Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela amamiensis Haupt, 1983 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela crypta Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela gayozan Xu, Ono, Kuntner, Liu & Li, 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela helios Tanikawa & Miyashita, 2014 (synonym H. yaginumai Ono, 1998) – Japan
• Heptathela higoensis Haupt, 1983 – Japan
• Heptathela kanenoi Ono, 1996 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela kikuyai Ono, 1998 – Japan
• Heptathela kimurai (Kishida, 1920) (type species) – Japan
• Heptathela kojima Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela kubayama Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela mae Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela otoha Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela shuri Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela sumiyo Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela tokashiki Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela uken Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela unten Xu et al., 2019 – Ryukyu Is.
• Heptathela yakushimaensis Ono, 1998 – Japan
• Heptathela yanbaruensis Haupt, 1983 – Okinawa

Many of the species formerly placed in this genus have been transferred to other genera in the family Liphistiidae, including Luthela, Songthela and Vinathela.^[1]

Social reference

This is the genus of spider referenced by Vincent Price in the introduction to Alice Cooper's The Black Widow on his Welcome to my Nightmare album.^{[citation needed]}