{{Short description|Genus of spiders}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = | image = Poecilochroa variana 348032490.jpg | image_caption = ''P. variana'' | image2 = Poecilochroa variana 397285200.jpg | image2_caption = ''P. variana'' | taxon = Poecilochroa | authority = Westring, 1874<ref name=wsc /> | type_species = ''P. variana'' | type_species_authority = (C. L. Koch, 1839) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 28, see text }}
'''''Poecilochroa''''' is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874.<ref name=West1874 />
== Description == As Gnaphosidae, ''Poecilochroa'' have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and going out at night to hunt.<ref name="ednieuw" />
''Poecilochroa'' are divided into two gnaphosid groups based on their abdomen colouration: those with plain abdomens are in the ''Echemus'' group, while those with black and white abdomen are in the ''Herpyllus'' group. Males of both groups have well-developed dorsal scuta.<ref name="chatz" />
== Habitat == ''Poecilochroa'' occur in various habitats including on and under stones and dead leaves, on vegetation, in steppes, grasslands, dry fields, stream beds and forest floors.<ref name="bayram" /><ref name="alioua" />
==Species== <gallery mode=packed heights=180px> Poecilochroa imported from iNaturalist photo 285686267 on 29 March 2024.jpg|''Poecilochroa'' sp. from Karnataka, India Poecilochroa albomaculata.png|''P. albomaculata'' </gallery>
{{as of|2025|9}}, this genus includes 28 species:<ref name="wsc" /> {{Div col}} * ''Poecilochroa albomaculata'' <small>(Lucas, 1846)</small> – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia * ''Poecilochroa alcala'' <small>Barrion & Litsinger, 1995</small> – Philippines * ''Poecilochroa anomala'' <small>(Hewitt, 1915)</small> – South Africa, Lesotho * ''Poecilochroa barmani'' <small>Tikader, 1982</small> – India * ''Poecilochroa bifasciata'' <small>Banks, 1902</small> – Galapagos * ''Poecilochroa capensis'' <small>Strand, 1909</small> – South Africa * ''Poecilochroa carinata'' <small>Caporiacco, 1947</small> – Uganda * ''Poecilochroa dayamibrookiana'' <small>Barrion & Litsinger, 1995</small> – Philippines * ''Poecilochroa exoculata'' <small>Lissner, 2024</small> – Canary Islands * ''Poecilochroa faradjensis'' <small>Lessert, 1929</small> – DR Congo * ''Poecilochroa haplostyla'' <small>Simon, 1907</small> – São Tomé and Príncipe * ''Poecilochroa insularis'' <small>Kulczyński, 1911</small> – Indonesia (Java) * ''Poecilochroa involuta'' <small>Tucker, 1923</small> – South Africa * ''Poecilochroa joreungensis'' <small>Paik, 1992</small> – Korea * ''Poecilochroa khodiar'' <small>(Patel, 1988)</small> – India * ''Poecilochroa kuljitae'' <small>(Tikader, 1982)</small> – India * ''Poecilochroa latefasciata'' <small>Simon, 1893</small> – Peru * ''Poecilochroa parangunifasciata'' <small>Barrion & Litsinger, 1995</small> – Philippines * ''Poecilochroa patricia'' <small>(Simon, 1878)</small> – France (Corsica) * ''Poecilochroa pauciaculeis'' <small>Caporiacco, 1947</small> – Eritrea * ''Poecilochroa phyllobia'' <small>(Thorell, 1871)</small> – Italy * ''Poecilochroa rollini'' <small>Berland, 1933</small> – French Polynesia (Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu) * ''Poecilochroa taeguensis'' <small>Paik, 1992</small> – Korea * ''Poecilochroa tridotus'' <small>Caleb & Mathai, 2013</small> – India * ''Poecilochroa trifasciata'' <small>Mello-Leitão, 1918</small> – Brazil * ''Poecilochroa variana'' <small>(C. L. Koch, 1839)</small> – Europe, Central Asia (type species) * ''Poecilochroa viduata'' <small>(Pavesi, 1883)</small> – Ethiopia * ''Poecilochroa vittata'' <small>Kulczyński, 1911</small> – Indonesia (Java) {{Div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/975 | title=Genus Poecilochroa | publisher=World Spider Catalog | accessdate=25 September 2025}}</ref> <ref name=alioua>{{Cite journal |last1=Alioua |first1=Youcef |last2=Bosmans |first2=Robert |date=May 2020 |title=Poecilochroa senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) recorded for the first time in Algeria and Morocco, with the proposition of a new synonym |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340661586 |journal=The Arachnological Bulletin of the Middle East and North Africa |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=121–126}}</ref> <ref name=bayram>{{Cite journal |last1=Bayram |first1=Abdullah |last2=Varol |first2=M. İsmail |date=2003 |title=On Poecilochroa variana, recently collected in Turkey for the first time (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09397140.2003.10637994 |journal=Zoology in the Middle East |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=101–104 |doi=10.1080/09397140.2003.10637994 |issn=0939-7140 |s2cid=84776303 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> <ref name=chatz>{{Cite book |last=Chatzaki |first=J. Lissner M. |title=First records of Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from Greece and Cyprus with notes on some closely related species |date=2016-01-01 |oclc=1248842562}}</ref> <ref name=ednieuw>{{Cite web |title=Flat-bellied ground spiders, Gnaphosidae |url=https://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/Spiders/Gnaphosidae/Gnaphosidae.htm |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl}}</ref> <ref name=West1874>{{cite journal|last=Westring|first=N.|year=1874|title=Bemerkungen über die Arachnologischen Abhandlungen von Dr T. Thorell unter dem Titel: 1°, On European Spiders, pts 1 et 2, Upsala, 1869-70. 2°, Remarks on Synonyms of European Spiders, Upsala, 1872-73.|journal=Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps och Vitterhets Samhälles Handlingar|pages=1–68|volume=14}}</ref> }}
==External links== * {{inaturalist taxon}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1985800}}
Category:Gnaphosidae genera Category:Spiders of Africa Category:Spiders of Asia Category:Spiders of South America
{{Gnaphosidae-stub}}