title: Poltys (spider)
text: # Poltys (spider)
  
  Poltys is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by C. L. Koch in 1843. Many species are cryptic and are known to masquerade as leaves and twigs during the day, and build an orb web at night to capture prey. The shape of the abdomen which often gives the impression of a rough and broken branch can vary among individuals within a species. The web is eaten up before dawn and reconstructed after dusk.
  
  ## Species
  
  As of April 2019 it contains forty-three species:
  
  * Poltys acuminatus Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
  * Poltys apiculatus Thorell, 1892 – Singapore
  * Poltys baculiger Simon, 1907 – Gabon
  * Poltys bhabanii (Tikader, 1970) – India
  * Poltys bhavnagarensis Patel, 1988 – India
  * Poltys caelatus Simon, 1907 – Sierra Leone, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe
  * Poltys columnaris Thorell, 1890 – India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Sumatra), Japan
  * Poltys corticosus Pocock, 1898 – East Africa
  * Poltys dubius (Walckenaer, 1841) – Vietnam
  * Poltys elevatus Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia (Sumatra)
  * Poltys ellipticus Han, Zhang & Zhu, 2010 – China
  * Poltys fornicatus Simon, 1907 – São Tomé and Príncipe
  * Poltys frenchi Hogg, 1899 – New Guinea, indonesia (Moluccas), Australia (Queensland)
  * Poltys furcifer Simon, 1881 – Tanzania (Zanzibar), South Africa
  * Poltys godrejii Bastawade & Khandal, 2006 – India
  * Poltys grayi Smith, 2006 – Australia (Lord Howe Is.)
  * Poltys hainanensis Han, Zhang & Zhu, 2010 – China
  * Poltys horridus Locket, 1980 – Comoros, Seychelles
  * Poltys idae (Ausserer, 1871) – China, Borneo
  * Poltys illepidus C. L. Koch, 1843 (type) – Thailand to Australia (mainland, Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is.)
  * Poltys jujorum Smith, 2006 – Australia (Queensland)
  * Poltys kochi Keyserling, 1864 – Mauritius, Madagascar
  * Poltys laciniosus Keyserling, 1886 – Australia
  * Poltys longitergus Hogg, 1919 – Indonesia (Sumatra)
  * Poltys milledgei Smith, 2006 – Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory), Indonesia (Bali, Sumbawa)
  * Poltys monstrosus Simon, 1897 – Sierra Leone
  * Poltys mouhoti (Günther, 1862) – Vietnam
  * Poltys nagpurensis Tikader, 1982 – Iran, India
  * Poltys nigrinus Saito, 1933 – Taiwan
  * Poltys noblei Smith, 2006 – Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria)
  * Poltys pannuceus Thorell, 1895 – Myanmar
  * Poltys pogonias Thorell, 1891 – India (Nicobar Is.)
  * Poltys pygmaeus Han, Zhang & Zhu, 2010 – China
  * Poltys raphanus Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
  * Poltys rehmanii Bastawade & Khandal, 2006 – India
  * Poltys reuteri Lenz, 1886 – Madagascar
  * Poltys squarrosus Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
  * Poltys stygius Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar to Australia (Queensland)
  * Poltys timmeh Smith, 2006 – New Caledonia, Loyalty Is.
  * Poltys turriger Simon, 1897 – Vietnam
  * Poltys turritus Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
  * Poltys unguifer Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
  * Poltys vesicularis Simon, 1889 – Madagascar
  