Parawixia is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1904. Most species are found in the Neotropics, but one species, Parawixia dehaani, is found in Australasia and tropical Asia as far west as India.
Natural history Parawixia audax, one of the better known species, makes a large loose web, placing itself either in the center with its head down or in a retreat created from a rolled-leaf. This species builds webs above the ground, but there are likely many more species further up in the canopy that are rarely collected by usual means.
Parawixia bistriata builds its webs much higher from the ground, frequently found on telephone poles. It is known to be social, and all individuals in a colony are of the same age and size. During the day, they share a retreat where they cluster together.
Species it contains thirty-one species: Parawixia acapulco Levi, 1992 – Mexico Parawixia audax (Blackwall, 1863) – Colombia to Argentina Parawixia barbacoas Levi, 1992 – Colombia, Ecuador Parawixia bistriata (Rengger, 1836) – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina Parawixia casa Levi, 1992 – Colombia Parawixia chubut Levi, 2001 – Chile, Argentina Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859) – India to Philippines, New Guinea Parawixia d. octopunctigera (Strand, 1911) – Papua New Guinea (New Ireland) Parawixia d. pygituberculata (Strand, 1911) – Papua New Guinea (New Ireland), Indonesia (Sulawesi) Parawixia d. quadripunctigera (Strand, 1911) – Indonesia (Aru Is.) Parawixia destricta (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Mexico to Panama Parawixia divisoria Levi, 1992 – Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia Parawixia guatemalensis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Mexico, Guatemala Parawixia honesta (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899) – Mexico Parawixia hoxaea (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Guatemala to Panama Parawixia hypocrita (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Guatemala to Brazil Parawixia inopinata Camargo, 1950 – Brazil Parawixia kochi (Taczanowski, 1873) – Trinidad to Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana Parawixia maldonado Levi, 1992 – Peru Parawixia matiapa Levi, 1992 – Trinidad, Colombia, Peru, Brazil Parawixia monticola (Keyserling, 1892) – Brazil Parawixia nesophila Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936 – Costa Rica, Panama Parawixia ouro Levi, 1992 – Peru, Brazil Parawixia porvenir Levi, 1992 – Colombia Parawixia rigida (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) – Guatemala to Panama Parawixia rimosa (Keyserling, 1892) – Costa Rica to Bolivia Parawixia tarapoa Levi, 1992 – Ecuador, Peru, Brazil Parawixia tomba Levi, 1992 – Peru, Brazil Parawixia tredecimnotata F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 – Mexico to Belize, Greater Antilles Parawixia undulata (Keyserling, 1892) – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina Parawixia velutina (Taczanowski, 1878) – Colombia to Argentina
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