They are trapdoor spiders of the family Heptathelidae[2] and are found in Japan, including Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands.

Burrows have an oval shaped door which is hinged across the long diameter.

[4] The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek hepta "seven", referring to the number of spinneret glands.

As of January 2022[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:[1] Many of the species formerly placed in this genus have been transferred to other genera in the family Liphistiidae, including Luthela, Songthela and Vinathela.

[1] This is the genus of spider referenced by Vincent Price in the introduction to Alice Cooper's The Black Widow on his Welcome to my Nightmare album.