These are small, compact spiders, ranging from 5 to 10 millimetres (0.20 to 0.39 in) long. They are strongly patterned and have stout legs, physically resembling those of the tree trapdoor spiders.[4]
Most species are endemic small areas, many of which are small islands that emerged from the ocean floor in recent geological times with no connection to the mainland. These were likely inhabited by pregnant females surviving in floating logs, while most of the other speciation is believed to have occurred due to fragmentation of the former supercontinent Gondwana.[5]
The genus was erected by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1883 for the type species Sarpedon robustum,[6] but this name was already in use for a genus of false click beetles. In 1887, Eugène Simon renamed the genus to Sason, an abbreviation of the biblical judge Samson. The earlier name was based on Sarpedon, a legendary king at the siege of Troy, alluding to their "regal" appearance.[4]
^Raven, R. J. (1985). "The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 182: 113.
^Simon, E. (1887). "Observation sur divers arachnides: synonymies et descriptions". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 7 (6): 193–195.
