Callilepis is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of gnaphosid spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

s with about 20 described species. Some are found from Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 to Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, others from Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 to India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. They are most commonly collected in dry areas, sandy roads and beaches.

Description

Callilepis is easily distinguished from other Gnaphosidae by the single translucent lamina on the cheliceral retromargin, the short, angular endites and the flattened, transverse posterior median eyes. These eyes are probably not functional due to a series of ridges. Species range in size from 2.5 to 7 mm. The lateral eyes are larger than the medians. The abdomen is dark gray, longer than wide, with a dark, shiny anterior scutum in males, sometimes with white spots.

Systematics

The species belong to two groups. The nocturna group consists of C. nocturna, C. pluto, C. imbecilla, C. chisos and C. concolor; the schuszteri group of C. schuszteri, C. mumai, C. eremella, C. gertschi and C. gosoga. Although both groups occur on both sides of the Atlantic, no species is holarctic in distribution.

Species

The genus Callilepis contains the following species:

• Callilepis chakanensis Tikader, 1982 — India
• Callilepis chisos Platnick, 1975 — USA
• Callilepis concolor Simon, 1914 — Southern Europe
• Callilepis cretica (Roewer, 1928) — Greece, Crete, Turkey, Azerbaijan
• Callilepis eremella Chamberlin, 1928 — North America
• Callilepis gertschi Platnick, 1975 — USA, Mexico
• Callilepis gosoga Chamberlin & Gertsch, 1940 — USA
• Callilepis imbecilla (Keyserling, 1887) — USA, Canada
• Callilepis ketani Gajbe, 1984 — India
• Callilepis lambai Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 — India
• Callilepis mumai Platnick, 1975 — USA, Mexico
• Callilepis nocturna (Linnaeus, 1758) — Palearctic
• Callilepis pawani Gajbe, 1984 — India
• Callilepis pluto Banks, 1896 — USA, Canada
• Callilepis rajani Gajbe, 1984 — India
• Callilepis rajasthanica Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 — India
• Callilepis rukminiae Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 — India
• Callilepis schuszteri (Herman, 1879) — Palearctic