California tube trapdoor spider - Calisoga longitarsis

Moved

… marshal hedin, 20 June, 2016 - 8:40am

Moved

… John Sloan, 20 June, 2010 - 8:40am

Nice

Nice, Ron. For the sake of simplicity and uniformity we follow the World Spider Catalog (with a few exceptions, whose reasons I've once again forgotten).

I have the following note in my records: "NB. Platnick (2006) does not accept the transfer of C. longitarsus to the genus Calisoga for procedural reasons*. He lists it under its previous genus name, Brachythele. However, it is widely accepted that Brachythele is an old-world genus, and that North American spiders described as Brachythele are correctly placed in Calisoga." [Sorry, I don't know where this citation came from.]

So I, too, will defer to those here who have a better sense of how this ship runs.

-K

* The "procedural reasons" most likely being this part: "since C. longitarsis was not published by Bentzein"

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 20 June, 2010 - 1:48am

Beautiful photos! Kevin is

Beautiful photos!

Kevin is correct about the procedural issues. Brachythele "Calisoga" longitarsis is the common species across most of northern California. Unfortunately, an abundance of descriptions have led to a multiplicity of names, and until a revisionary work is published (not just in someone's thesis or dissertation) the proposed revisions are not officially recognized. Bentzien's 1976 dissertation thoroughly explored the natural history and systematics of these spiders and clearly showed that they are different from the European Brachythele and that there were only one or two species (not five) in the family. While the research he did is accepted by most arachnologists, because he didn't publish it, the old taxonomy is still "officially" recognized.

… R.J. Adams, 20 June, 2010 - 10:58am

Brachythele vs. Calisoga

I remember talking to B. J. Kaston shortly after the publication of his 3rd ed. (1978) of How to Know the Spiders. B. J. was a perfectionist and stickler for protocol. He was very upset having changed Brachythele to Calisoga in his 3rd ed. in induced anticipation that Bentzien was going to publish.

… Lenny Vincent, 20 June, 2010 - 1:03pm

I believe this is Lenny's best series to date.

Photos are larger, more numerous, and benefitting from a new lens.

… Ron Hemberger, 20 June, 2010 - 1:54am

I agree

these photos are great.

… Lynette Elliott, 20 June, 2010 - 11:24am