Lygromma anops

Lygromma anops
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Gnaphosidae
Genus:	Lygromma
Species:	L. anops
Binomial name
Lygromma anops Peck & Shear, 1987[1]

Lygromma anops is one of only three known eyeless spiders in the superfamily Gnaphosoidea, and one of only two known troglobites (cave species). It is found in lava caves on Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos.

It is possible that L. anops, like many inhabitants of lava caves, colonizes new caves through interconnecting cracks and crevices, and that these small spaces are in reality its main habitat.

Males reach a body length of about 3.4 mm.

L. anops seems to be closely related with , and from Venezuela.

, a blind, cave-inhabiting species from Jamaica is not a close relative of L. anops.

References[]

• Peck, S.B. & Shear, W.A. (1987). A new blind cavernicolous Lygromma (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from the Galápagos Islands. Can. Ent. 119:105-108.
• Shear, W.A. & Peck, S.B. (1992). Male of the blind cave gnaphosoid Lygromma anops (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea, Prodidomidae) from Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Journal of Arachnology 20:69-71. PDF