Purcelliana

{{Short description|Genus of spiders}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = | image = | image_caption = | image2 = | image2_caption = | taxon = Purcelliana | authority = Cooke, 1964<ref name=wsc /> }}

'''''Purcelliana''''' is a genus of South African long-spinneret ground spiders. It was first described by J. A. L. Cooke in 1964,<ref name=Cook1964 /> and is only found in South Africa and Namibia.<ref name=wsc />

==Description== {{see also|Glossary of spider terms}}

''Purcelliana'' are spiders with a total length of males 1.68–3.3 mm and females 1.92–3.76 mm. Carapace as wide as long, slightly narrow at cephalic region with fovea absent. Eight eyes with posterior eye row strongly procurved and anterior eye row approximately straight. Posterior median eyes and posterior lateral eyes irregular while anterior median eyes are dark.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />

Chelicerae relatively small without boss or teeth but with long fang. Dorsal surface of paturon with clavate setae erect, resembling spines. Endites anteriorly convergent with few hairs on internal margin. Labium approximately as wide as long. Sternum longer than wide with anterior margin straight, rebordered anteriorly and laterally. Posterior region strongly protruding between coxae IV with numerous long and erect setae.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />

Abdomen oval, longer than wide with dorsum without curved setae anteriorly. Six spinnerets present with anterior lateral spinnerets as long as wide and almost contiguous. Leg formula 1423 without spines except the ventral tarsus with clustered clavate setae resembling spines. Two smooth claws with dense claw tufts of tenent setae inserted in well-delimited plate.<ref name="dippenaar2023" />

==Species== {{as of|2026|1}}, this genus includes four species:<ref name="wsc" /> {{Div col}} * ''Purcelliana cederbergensis'' Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020 – South Africa * ''Purcelliana kamaseb'' Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020 – Namibia * ''Purcelliana khabus'' Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020 – Namibia * ''Purcelliana problematica'' Cooke, 1964 – South Africa {{Div col end}}

==References== <references> <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/lsid/urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:02639 | title=Gen. Cooke, 1964 | publisher=World Spider Catalog | doi=10.24436/2 | accessdate=2026-01-25}}</ref> <ref name="Cook1964">{{cite journal| last=Cooke| first=J. A. L.| year=1964| title=A revisionary study of some spiders of the rare family Prodidomidae| journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London| pages=257–305| volume=142| issue=2| doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1964.tb04625.x}}</ref> <ref name="dippenaar2023">{{cite book | last1=Dippenaar-Schoeman | first1=A.S. | last2=Haddad | first2=C.R. | last3=Foord | first3=S.H. | last4=Lotz | first4=L.N. | year=2023 | title=The Prodidomidae of South Africa | publisher=South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide | version=1 | pages=1–42 | doi=10.5281/zenodo.7515818 | url=https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7515818 | accessdate=24 September 2025}}{{Creative Commons text attribution notice|cc=by4}}</ref> </references>

Category:Prodidominae Category:Spiders of South Africa Category:Araneomorphae genera