Tolkienus is a genus of spiders in the family Dictynidae.[2]
| Tolkienus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| T. bellans | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Dictynidae |
| Genus: | Tolkienus Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025[1] |
| Type species | |
| Dictyna longispina Emerton, 1888 | |
| Species | |
|
5, see text | |
Distribution
editTolkienus is distributed across North America and Eurasia. In North America, the genus occurs in Canada and the US, with T. bellans extending into Mexico. In Eurasia, the genus is found from Eastern Europe to Iran. T. estoc is endemic to Equatorial Guinea in West Africa.[2]
Etymology
editThe genus is named in honor of J. R. R. Tolkien.[1]
Taxonomy
editSpecies
editAs of October 2025[update], this genus includes five species and one subspecies:[2]
- Tolkienus armatus (Thorell, 1875) – Ukraine, Russia (Europe, Caucasus)
- Tolkienus bellans (Chamberlin, 1919) – United States, Mexico
- T. b. hatchi (Jones, 1948) – United States
- Tolkienus estoc Cala-Riquelme & Al-Jamal, 2025 – Equatorial Guinea
- Tolkienus longispinus (Emerton, 1888) – Canada, United States (type species)
- Tolkienus ottoi (Marusik & Koponen, 2017) – Caucasus (Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan), Iran
References
edit- 1 2 Montana, K. O.; Cala-Riquelme, F. (2025). "Tailor's drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204 (2) zlaf007: 1–97. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.
- 1 2 3 4 "Gen. Tolkienus Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
