Poecilochroa

Poecilochroa is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1874.^[2]

Poecilochroa
P. variana
P. variana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Gnaphosidae
Genus:	Poecilochroa Westring, 1874[1]
Type species
P. variana (C. L. Koch, 1839)
Species
28, see text

Description

As Gnaphosidae, Poecilochroa have large cylindrical spinnerets. They are nocturnal, spending the day in silken retreats and going out at night to hunt.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5][6]

Species

• 
  Poecilochroa sp. from Karnataka, India
• 
  P. albomaculata

As of September 2025^[update], this genus includes 28 species:^[1]

• Poecilochroa albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
• Poecilochroa alcala Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
• Poecilochroa anomala (Hewitt, 1915) – South Africa, Lesotho
• Poecilochroa barmani Tikader, 1982 – India
• Poecilochroa bifasciata Banks, 1902 – Galapagos
• Poecilochroa capensis Strand, 1909 – South Africa
• Poecilochroa carinata Caporiacco, 1947 – Uganda
• Poecilochroa dayamibrookiana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
• Poecilochroa exoculata Lissner, 2024 – Canary Islands
• Poecilochroa faradjensis Lessert, 1929 – DR Congo
• Poecilochroa haplostyla Simon, 1907 – São Tomé and Príncipe
• Poecilochroa insularis Kulczyński, 1911 – Indonesia (Java)
• Poecilochroa involuta Tucker, 1923 – South Africa
• Poecilochroa joreungensis Paik, 1992 – Korea
• Poecilochroa khodiar (Patel, 1988) – India
• Poecilochroa kuljitae (Tikader, 1982) – India
• Poecilochroa latefasciata Simon, 1893 – Peru
• Poecilochroa parangunifasciata Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
• Poecilochroa patricia (Simon, 1878) – France (Corsica)
• Poecilochroa pauciaculeis Caporiacco, 1947 – Eritrea
• Poecilochroa phyllobia (Thorell, 1871) – Italy
• Poecilochroa rollini Berland, 1933 – French Polynesia (Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu)
• Poecilochroa taeguensis Paik, 1992 – Korea
• Poecilochroa tridotus Caleb & Mathai, 2013 – India
• Poecilochroa trifasciata Mello-Leitão, 1918 – Brazil
• Poecilochroa variana (C. L. Koch, 1839) – Europe, Central Asia (type species)
• Poecilochroa viduata (Pavesi, 1883) – Ethiopia
• Poecilochroa vittata Kulczyński, 1911 – Indonesia (Java)