Spider taxonomy
Encyclopedia
Spider taxonomy is the alpha taxonomy
of the spider
s, members of the Araneae order
of the arthropod class
Arachnida with about 40,000 described species. However there are likely many species that have escaped the human eye to this day, and many specimens stored in collections
waiting to be described and classified. It is estimated that only one third to one fifth of existing species have been described.
Arachnology
currently divides spider
s into two suborders with about 38 superfamilies
, and 111 families. Seven of the 111 families are incertae sedis
, meaning that their placement into superfamilies is not agreed upon; several other families are not placed in any superfamily.
Due to constant research, with new species being discovered every month and others being recognized as synonyms, the number of species in the families is bound to change and can never reflect the present status with total accuracy. Nevertheless, the species numbers given here are useful as a guideline.
See a table of Araneae families at the end of the article with some genera
and species listed for each family (only identified species are included).
resemble the Solifugae
("wind scorpions" or "sun scorpions") in having segmented plates on their abdomens that create the appearance of the segmented abdomens of these other arachnids. They are both few in number and also limited in geographical range.
contains the spiders that have no plates on their abdomens. It can be somewhat difficult on casual inspection to determine whether the chelicerae of members are of the sort that would put them into the infraorder of the mygalomorphs or the infraorder of the Araneomorphs. The spiders that are called "tarantulas" in English are so large and hairy that inspection of their chelicerae is hardly necessary to categorize one of them as a Mygalomorph. Other, smaller, members of this suborder, however, look little different from the Araneomorphs. (See the picture of the Sphodros rufipes below.) Many Araneomorphs are immediately identifiable as such since they are found on webs designed for the capture of prey or exhibit other habitat choices that eliminate the possibility that they could be Mygalomorphs.
are characterized by the vertical orientation of their chelicerae and the possession of four book lungs.
. It includes a wide range from the spiders that weave their beautiful orb webs in the garden, the more chaotic-looking webs of the cobweb spiders that frequent window frames and the corners of rooms, the crab spiders that lurk waiting for nectar- and pollen-gathering insects on flowers, to the jumping spiders that patrol the outside walls of a dwelling, and so on. They are characterized by having chelicerae
whose tips approach each other as they bite, and (usually) having one pair of book lungs.
Some important spider families are :
These spiders are frequently seen in cellars. When light contact disturbs their web their characteristic response is to set the entire web moving the way a person would jump up and down on a trampoline. It is unclear why they cause their webs to vibrate in this way; moving their webs back and forward may increase the possibility that insects flying close by may be ensnared, or the rapid gyrations caused by the spider in its web may make the spider harder to target by predators.
The family of Salticidae commonly called jumping spiders have a characteristic cephalothorax shapes, as shown in the diagram below. They have eight eyes, two of them very prominent, and excellent vision. Their maximum size is perhaps 13/16 inch (20 mm), but many species are much smaller than that. The largest North American species such as Phidippus regius, P. octopunctatis, etc., are so heavy bodied that they cannot jump far. The smaller species of jumping spider can jump many times their own body length. They hunt by first getting within range of a prey animal such as a fly, securing a silken "climbing rope" to their current perch, and then jumping onto their prey and biting it. Many seem to take unerring aim at the neck of their prey. Should they jump from one twig to another in an attempt to capture prey and miss or get knocked off the second twig by their struggling prey then they are protected from falling by their silken lifeline. At night these spiders usually retreat to a silken "puptent" that they construct for their own protection and, when needed, as a place to deposit their eggs. They are frequently seen in sunlit areas on walls, tree trunks, and other such vertical surfaces. They are perhaps the only family of spiders who will take cognizance of a human in their general area and then turn their bodies and elevate their cephalothoraxes to keep the human under observation. If approached closely, e.g., with the lens of a camera, some of them may choose to jump onto the nearby object to explore it. This behavior may be alarming but it never seems to be aggressive since these spiders are unwilling to attack prey that are very much larger than they are.
Alpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
of the spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, members of the Araneae order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
of the arthropod class
Class (biology)
In biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
Arachnida with about 40,000 described species. However there are likely many species that have escaped the human eye to this day, and many specimens stored in collections
Collection (museum)
A museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions, education, research, etc. This differentiates it from an archive or library, where the contents may be more paper-based, replaceable and less exhibition oriented...
waiting to be described and classified. It is estimated that only one third to one fifth of existing species have been described.
Arachnology
Arachnology
Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related animals such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. However, the study of ticks and mites is sometimes not included in arachnology, but is called Acarology...
currently divides spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s into two suborders with about 38 superfamilies
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
, and 111 families. Seven of the 111 families are incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
, meaning that their placement into superfamilies is not agreed upon; several other families are not placed in any superfamily.
Due to constant research, with new species being discovered every month and others being recognized as synonyms, the number of species in the families is bound to change and can never reflect the present status with total accuracy. Nevertheless, the species numbers given here are useful as a guideline.
See a table of Araneae families at the end of the article with some genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
and species listed for each family (only identified species are included).
Suborder Mesothelae
MesothelaeMesothelae
The Mesothelae are a suborder of spiders that includes the extinct families Arthrolycosidae and Arthromygalidae and the only extant family Liphistiidae....
resemble the Solifugae
Solifugae
Solifugae are an order of Arachnida, known as camel spiders, wind scorpions and sun spiders or solifuges, comprising more than 1,000 described species in about 153 genera...
("wind scorpions" or "sun scorpions") in having segmented plates on their abdomens that create the appearance of the segmented abdomens of these other arachnids. They are both few in number and also limited in geographical range.
- ArthrolycosidaeArthrolycosidaeArthrolycosidae is an extinct family of primitive spiders that bear some resemblance to the wolf spiders....
(primitive spiders) - ArthromygalidaeArthromygalidaeThe Arthromygalidae are an extinct family of primitive spiders that bear some resemblance to the tarantulas, at its peak in the Carboniferous, some 280 million years ago....
(primitive spiders) - LiphistiidaeLiphistiidaeThe spider family Liphistiidae comprises 5 genera and 85 species from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. They are among the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae...
(primitive burrowing spiders)
Suborder Opisthothelae
Suborder OpisthothelaeOpisthothelae
Opisthothelae is a taxon within Order Araneae, consisting of the Mygalomorphae and the Araneomorphae, but excluding the Mesothelae. Opisthothelae is sometimes presented as an unranked clade and sometimes as a suborder of the Araneae...
contains the spiders that have no plates on their abdomens. It can be somewhat difficult on casual inspection to determine whether the chelicerae of members are of the sort that would put them into the infraorder of the mygalomorphs or the infraorder of the Araneomorphs. The spiders that are called "tarantulas" in English are so large and hairy that inspection of their chelicerae is hardly necessary to categorize one of them as a Mygalomorph. Other, smaller, members of this suborder, however, look little different from the Araneomorphs. (See the picture of the Sphodros rufipes below.) Many Araneomorphs are immediately identifiable as such since they are found on webs designed for the capture of prey or exhibit other habitat choices that eliminate the possibility that they could be Mygalomorphs.
Infraorder Mygalomorphae
Spiders in infraorder MygalomorphaeMygalomorphae
The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:...
are characterized by the vertical orientation of their chelicerae and the possession of four book lungs.
Infraorder Araneomorphae
Most, if not all, of the spiders one encounters in everyday life belong to infraorder AraneomorphaeAraneomorphae
The Araneomorphae are a suborder of spiders. They are distinguished by having fangs that oppose each other and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae , which have fangs that are nearly parallel in alignment.- Distinguishing characteristics :Note the difference in the...
. It includes a wide range from the spiders that weave their beautiful orb webs in the garden, the more chaotic-looking webs of the cobweb spiders that frequent window frames and the corners of rooms, the crab spiders that lurk waiting for nectar- and pollen-gathering insects on flowers, to the jumping spiders that patrol the outside walls of a dwelling, and so on. They are characterized by having chelicerae
Chelicerae
The chelicerae are mouthparts of the Chelicerata, an arthropod subphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata , and Pycnogonida . Chelicerae are pointed appendages which are used to grasp food, and are found in place of the chewing mandibles most other arthropods have...
whose tips approach each other as they bite, and (usually) having one pair of book lungs.
Some important spider families are :
- Pholcidae (daddy long-legs spiderDaddy long-legs spiderPholcidae, commonly known as cellar spiders, are a spider family in the suborder Araneomorphae.Some species, especially Pholcus phalangioides, are commonly called granddaddy long-legs spider, daddy long-legs spider, daddy long-legger, or vibrating spider...
s)
These spiders are frequently seen in cellars. When light contact disturbs their web their characteristic response is to set the entire web moving the way a person would jump up and down on a trampoline. It is unclear why they cause their webs to vibrate in this way; moving their webs back and forward may increase the possibility that insects flying close by may be ensnared, or the rapid gyrations caused by the spider in its web may make the spider harder to target by predators.
- Plectreuridae (plectreurid spiderPlectreurid spiderPlectreuridae, often called Plectreurid spiders, are a small spider family confined to the North American deserts and the island of Cuba. Only two living genera are known - the nominate genus Plectreurys and Kibramoa...
s)
- Salticidae (jumping spiderJumping spiderThe jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among invertebrates and use it in courtship, hunting and navigation...
s)
The family of Salticidae commonly called jumping spiders have a characteristic cephalothorax shapes, as shown in the diagram below. They have eight eyes, two of them very prominent, and excellent vision. Their maximum size is perhaps 13/16 inch (20 mm), but many species are much smaller than that. The largest North American species such as Phidippus regius, P. octopunctatis, etc., are so heavy bodied that they cannot jump far. The smaller species of jumping spider can jump many times their own body length. They hunt by first getting within range of a prey animal such as a fly, securing a silken "climbing rope" to their current perch, and then jumping onto their prey and biting it. Many seem to take unerring aim at the neck of their prey. Should they jump from one twig to another in an attempt to capture prey and miss or get knocked off the second twig by their struggling prey then they are protected from falling by their silken lifeline. At night these spiders usually retreat to a silken "puptent" that they construct for their own protection and, when needed, as a place to deposit their eggs. They are frequently seen in sunlit areas on walls, tree trunks, and other such vertical surfaces. They are perhaps the only family of spiders who will take cognizance of a human in their general area and then turn their bodies and elevate their cephalothoraxes to keep the human under observation. If approached closely, e.g., with the lens of a camera, some of them may choose to jump onto the nearby object to explore it. This behavior may be alarming but it never seems to be aggressive since these spiders are unwilling to attack prey that are very much larger than they are.
Table of Families
Families listed in boldface contain one or more species which are believed to be venomous to humans.1 | <10 | >=10 | >=100 | >=1000 |
Suborder | Superfamily | Family | Genera | Species | Common name | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mesothelae Mesothelae The Mesothelae are a suborder of spiders that includes the extinct families Arthrolycosidae and Arthromygalidae and the only extant family Liphistiidae.... |
Liphistiidae Liphistiidae The spider family Liphistiidae comprises 5 genera and 85 species from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. They are among the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae... |
5 | 85 | segmented spiders | Kimura-gumo Kimura-gumo The kimura-gumo or kimura spider is an Old World spider, found primarily in Japan and named after Kimura Arika, who discovered it in 1920. It belongs to the sub-order Mesothelae and can reach up to 3 cm in length... |
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Mygalomorphae Mygalomorphae The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:... |
Mecicobothrioidea Mecicobothrioidea The Mecicobothrioidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. The spiders in this group are among the smallest mygalomorph spiders known. The superfamily contains two families of spiders:* Mecicobothriidae, the dwarf tarantulas* Microstigmatidae.... |
Mecicobothriidae | 4 | 9 | dwarf tarantulas | |
Microstigmatidae Microstigmatidae The Microstigmatidae are a small spider family with fifteen described species in seven genera. They are small ground-dwelling and free-living spiders that make little use of silk.The family was removed form the family Dipluridae in 1981... |
7 | 15 | Envia garciai Envia garciai Envia garciai is a small pale yellow species of mygalomorph spider from Brazil. It is the only described species in genus Envia.... |
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Hexatheloidea | Hexathelidae Hexathelidae The spider family Hexathelidae, the only family in the super-family Hexatheloidea, is one of two families of spiders known as funnel-webs... |
11 | 85 | venomous funnel-web tarantulas | Sydney funnel-web spider | |
Dipluroidea | Dipluridae Dipluridae Funnel-web tarantulas , are a group of spiders in the infraorder Mygalomorphae, that have two pairs of booklungs, and chelicerae that move up and down in a stabbing motion... |
24 | 177 | funnel-web tarantulas | Spruce-fir moss spider | |
Nemesioidea | Nemesiidae Nemesiidae The Nemesiidae are a spider family of the infraorder Mygalomorphae, and the only member of the superfamily Nemesioidea. They were formerly considered part of the Dipluridae family.-Description:... |
41 | 342 | Black wishbone spider Aname atra The black wishbone spider is a mygalomorph spider of South Australia.Wishbone spiders belong to one of three very similar genera: Aname, Chenistonia and Namea.-Name:... |
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Theraphosoidea Theraphosoidea The Theraphosoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Theraphosidae, the true tarantulas* Paratropididae, the bald-legged spiders.... |
Theraphosidae | 116 | 909 | tarantulas | Goliath birdeater Goliath birdeater The Goliath bird-eater Spider is an arachnid belonging to the tarantula group, Theraphosidae, and is considered to be the second largest spider in the world , and they may be the biggest by mass... |
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Paratropididae Paratropididae The baldlegged spiders are a small spider family with eight species. They are related to tarantulas.-Species:The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan.* Glabropelmatinae Raven, 1985... |
4 | 8 | baldlegged spiders | |||
Barycheloidea | Barychelidae Barychelidae The Brushed trapdoor spiders are a spider family with about 300 species in 44 general. This family is the only family in superfamily Barycheloidea.... |
44 | 300 | trapdoor baboon spiders | Sason sundaicum Sason sundaicum Sason sundaicum is a species of barychelid trapdoor spiders that is found on trees near the sea, usually closer than 100 meters, although distances of up to five kilometers have been observed. They build short nests with two opposing trapdoors, often attached to the bark of living trees, for... |
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Atypoidea Atypoidea The Atypoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Atypidae* Antrodiaetidae... |
Atypidae | 3 | 43 | purse web spiders | Red legged purseweb spider Sphodros rufipes The Red legged purseweb spider is a mygalomorph spider from the southern USA, though it has been photographed as far north as Indiana, Missouri and New Jersey.The species name rufipes is Latin for "red foot".... |
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Antrodiaetidae Antrodiaetidae The folding trapdoor spiders are a small spider family with about 30 species in three genera. They are related to the Atypidae .-Distribution:... |
2 | 32 | folding trapdoor spiders | Atypoides riversi | ||
Cyrtauchenioidea | Cyrtaucheniidae | 18 | 134 | wafer trapdoor spiders | Aptostichus simus | |
Idiopoidea | Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae (superfamily Idiopoidea are a mygalomorph spider family. They have a large body that often looks rather like a tarantula.-Description:In some species the males have a spur on their legs, which they will show if provoked.... |
22 | 297 | Black rugose trapdoor spider | ||
Ctenizoidea | Ctenizidae | 9 | 117 | cork-lid trapdoor spiders | Cteniza sauvagesi Cteniza sauvagesi Cteniza sauvagesi is a trapdoor spider in the family Ctenizidae. It can reach 20 mm in body length, and is dark and sturdy, with a shining head. The species occurs in the Mediterranean region, mainly on Corsica and Sardinia. Their burrows are lined with silk, more so than with Nemesiidae... |
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Migoidea Migoidea The Migoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Migidae* Actinopodidae... |
Migidae Migidae The tree trapdoor spiders are a spider family with about 90 species in 10 genera.These small spiders are not hairy.They build burrows with a trapdoor... |
10 | 91 | tree trapdoor spiders | ||
Actinopodidae Actinopodidae The spider family Actinopodidae is a family of mygalomorph spiders found in Australia, South America, and Central America. It includes the Australian genus Missulena, known as the mouse spiders, which are quite venomous.-Genera:... |
3 | 41 | Mouse spider Mouse spider Mouse spiders are spiders of the genus Missulena, in the mygalomorph family Actinopodidae. There are 11 known species in this genus, all but one of which are indigenous to Australia. One species, M. tussulena, is found in Chile... |
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Araneomorphae Araneomorphae The Araneomorphae are a suborder of spiders. They are distinguished by having fangs that oppose each other and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae , which have fangs that are nearly parallel in alignment.- Distinguishing characteristics :Note the difference in the... |
Hypochiloidea | Hypochilidae | 2 | 11 | lampshade spiders | Hypochilus thorelli |
Austrochiloidea Austrochiloidea The Austrochiloidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Austrochilidae* Gradungulidae... |
Austrochilidae Austrochilidae The Austrochilidae are a small spider family with nine species in three genera.Two genera are endemic to the Andean forests of central and southern Chile and adjacent Argentina, the third is endemic to Tasmania.-Species:... |
7 | 16 | Tasmanian cave spider | ||
Gradungulidae Gradungulidae The Gradungulidae are a small spider family of Australia and New Zealand with 16 species in seven genera. They are medium to large three-clawed haplogyne spiders with two pairs of book-lungs .... |
7 | 16 | large-clawed spiders | Carrai Cave Spider Progradungula carraiensis Progradungula carraiensis, or Carrai cave spider, is a cribellate spider found only in the moist forests and limestone caves of the Carrai Plateau in northern New South Wales.These spiders are 8 to 12 mm long, with long and slender legs... |
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Filistatoidea | Filistatidae | 17 | 110 | crevice weavers | Southern house spider Southern house spider The Southern house spider is a species of large North American spider which exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The males very closely resemble brown recluses, having similar coloration and body structure, though they have slender bodies and are uniformly brown, unlike the brown recluse. The females... |
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Scytodoidea Scytodoidea The Scytodoidea are a superfamily of spiders. They contain four families of six-eyed spiders:* Drymusidae* Periegopidae* Scytodidae* Sicariidae... |
Drymusidae Drymusidae The Drymusidae are a small spider family with ten species in one genus. They are also called false violin spiders or leaf-litter spiders. They resemble the violin spider or recluse spider , but other than these build a web... |
1 | 15 | false violin spiders | ||
Periegopidae Periegopidae The spider family Periegopidae consists of only one genus Periegops, with two described species. Periegops had been long considered to be members of Sicariidae or Segestriidae until Raymond Forster evelated them to the family level in 1995.... |
1 | 2 | ||||
Scytodidae | 5 | 220 | spitting spiders | Scytodes thoracica Scytodes thoracica Scytodes thoracica is a spitting spider because it spits a poisonous sticky silken substance over its prey. Its size ranges between . The carapace is unusual in sloping upwards towards its rear end, whereas the abdomen slopes downwards.... |
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Sicariidae Sicariidae Sicariidae is a family of six-eyed venomous spiders known for their necrotic bites. The members of this family are haplogyne by definition . The family consists of two genera, Loxosceles and Sicarius, and contains about 120 species... |
2 | 121 | recluse spiders | Brown recluse | ||
Leptonetoidea Leptonetoidea The Leptonetoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain three families of six-eyed spiders:* Leptonetidae* Ochyroceratidae* Telemidae... |
Leptonetidae | 15 | 199 | leptonetid spiders | Tooth cave spider Tooth cave spider The tooth cave spider is a 1/16 inch long arachnid. It is endemic to Texas and is considered an endangered species.... |
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Ochyroceratidae Ochyroceratidae The Ochyroceratidae are a six-eyed spider family in the Leptonetoidea superfamily, with 154 described species in 14 genera.Ochyroceratidae are common inhabitants of the tropical forest litter and caves in South Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, especially species rich in the Indo-Pacific, where they... |
14 | 156 | midget ground weavers | Theotima minutissima Theotima minutissima Theotima minutissima is a minute spider.-Distribution:T. minutissima occurs in Panama, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Guam. It is especially abundant in the tropical forest leaf litter on El Yunque, Puerto Rico.... |
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Telemidae Telemidae The Telemidae are a six-eyed spider family with 57 described species in seven genera, see here for details-References:* Platnick, N.I. . On the tibial and patellar glands, relationships, and American genera of the spider family Leptonetidae . American Museum novitates 2855.... |
7 | 31 | long-legged cave spiders | |||
Pholcoidea Pholcoidea The Pholcoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of six-eyed spiders:* Diguetidae* Pholcidaeand one family of eight-eyed spiders:* Plectreuridae... |
Diguetidae | 2 | 15 | coneweb spiders | ||
Pholcidae | 80 | 1036 | daddy long-legs spiders | Daddy long-leg spider Pholcus phalangioides The cellar spider or daddy longlegs , also known as the skull spider due to its cephalothorax looking like a human skull, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. Females have a body length of about 9 mm; males are slightly smaller. Its legs are about 5 or 6 times the length of its body... |
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Plectreuridae | 2 | 29 | plectreurid spiders | |||
Caponioidea Caponioidea The Caponioidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of six-eyed spiders:* Caponiidae* TetrablemmidaeSome species of Caponiidae have four, or two eyes.... |
Caponiidae Caponiidae Spiders of the ecribellate haplogyne family Caponiidae are unusual in that most species have only two eyes, which is unheard of in other spiders. Other species have four, six or eight eyes... |
13 | 71 | Two-eyed orange spider | ||
Tetrablemmidae Tetrablemmidae The Tetrablemmidae are a spider family with 126 described species in 29 genera that occur throughout the world tropics. They are sometimes called armored spiders.... |
30 | 130 | armored spiders | |||
Dysderoidea Dysderoidea The Dysderoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain four families of six-eyed spiders:* Dysderidae* Oonopidae* Orsolobidae* Segestriidae... |
Dysderidae Dysderidae The family Dysderidae are araneomorph spiders found primarily in Eurasia, although extending into North Africa, with very few species occurring in South America, and one introduced into many regions of the world.Dysderids have six eyes, and are haplogyne, i.e... |
24 | 487 | woodlouse hunter spiders | Woodlouse spider Woodlouse spider The woodlouse spider is a species of spider that preys exclusively upon woodlice.Other common names refer to variations on the common name of its prey... |
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Oonopidae | 73 | 503 | dwarf hunting spiders | Oonops domesticus Oonops domesticus Oonops domesticus is a tiny spider from Western Europe to Russia. It is of a bleak light red, with a reddish to whitish abdomen. It is found only in buildings, where it builds a retreat in corners and between old paper. It hunts at night, probably with booklice their common prey... |
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Orsolobidae Orsolobidae The Orsolobidae are a six-eyed spider family with about 180 described species in 28 genera. They were separated from the Dysderidae. Several genera were transferred from the Oonopidae.-Distribution:... |
28 | 181 | ||||
Segestriidae | 3 | 110 | tubeweb spiders | Segestria florentina Segestria florentina Segestria florentina is the biggest European segestriid spider. Some common names are tube web spider or cellar spider, although neither are exclusive to this species.-Description:... |
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Eresoidea Eresoidea The Eresoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain three families of eight-eyed spiders:* Eresidae* Hersiliidae* Oecobiidae... |
Eresidae | 10 | 94 | velvet spiders | Ladybird spider Eresus Eresus is a genus of velvet spiders comprising several species, including Eresus cinnaberinus and Eresus sandaliatus, both of which are sometimes known as the "Ladybird spider".-Species:... |
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Hersiliidae | 12 | 159 | tree trunk spiders | Two-tailed spider | ||
Oecobiidae Oecobiidae The spider family Oecobiidae consists of about 100 species.They are rather small ; some of them build tiny webs close to the ceiling in people's homes... |
6 | 103 | disc web spiders | Oecobius navus Oecobius navus Oecobius navus is a small cosmopolitan cribellate spider species of about 2-3mm. It is light grey with darkly annulated legs. It builds flat webs with lateral openings with a diameter of about 3 cm under rocks, on ceilings and along the corners of walls with protruding signaling... |
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Archaeoidea Archaeoidea The Archaeoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain five families of eight-eyed spiders:* Archaeidae* Holarchaeidae* Mecysmaucheniidae* Micropholcommatidae* Pararchaeidae... |
Archaeidae Archaeidae The Archaeidae are a spider family with 25 described species in three genera.Their common name pelican spider stems from their specialised anatomy: they have evolved elongated jaws and necks for catching other spiders.-Distribution:... |
3 | 37 | pelican spiders | Assassin spider | |
Holarchaeidae Holarchaeidae The Holarchaeidae are a spider family with only two described species in one genus.They are only up to 1.5mm in size and shiny black to beige in color... |
1 | 2 | ||||
Mecysmaucheniidae Mecysmaucheniidae The Mecysmaucheniidae are a spider family with 25 described species in seven genera.-Distribution:Most genera only occur in South America , with two genera endemic to New Zealand.-Species:... |
7 | 25 | ||||
Micropholcommatidae Micropholcommatidae The Micropholcommatidae are a spider family with 33 described species in eight genera. Micropholcommatids are extremely small, with body lengths typically between 0.5 and 2 mm... |
8 | 34 | ||||
Pararchaeidae Pararchaeidae The Pararchaeidae are a spider family with 34 described species in seven genera.-Genera:Anarchaea Rix, 2006* Anarchaea corticola * Anarchaea falcata Rix, 2006... |
7 | 34 | ||||
Palpimanoidea Palpimanoidea The Palpimanoidea are a superfamily of eight-eyed spiders, with three containing families:* Huttoniidae* Palpimanidae* StenochilidaeThe Palpimanoidea are the only spider group with no cribellate members.... |
Huttoniidae Huttoniidae Huttonia palpimanoides is a spider in its own family, Huttoniidae.The species is endemic to New Zealand. Fossils of this class have been found from Cretaceous amber from Alberta and Manitoba, Canada, extending the known geological age of the Huttoniidae back about 80 million years, and supporting... |
1 | 1 | Huttonia palpimanoides | ||
Palpimanidae Palpimanidae The Palp-footed spiders are a spider family with about 130 described species in 15 genera.Instead of the normal six, Palpimanidae have only two spinnerets. Their first legs are greatly enlarged.. All species produce ecribellate silk . Palpimanidae have six eyes, a red cephalothorax, very strong... |
15 | 131 | palp-footed spiders | |||
Stenochilidae Stenochilidae The Stenochilidae are a spider family with twelve described species in two genera. All species produce ecribellate silk .-Species:Colopea Simon, 1893* Colopea laeta... |
2 | 12 | ||||
Mimetoidea Mimetoidea The Mimetoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Malkaridae* Mimetidae... |
Malkaridae Malkaridae The Malkaridae are a small spider family with ten species in four genera.-Species:Carathea Moran, 1986* Carathea miyali Moran, 1986 — Tasmania* Carathea parawea Moran, 1986 — TasmaniaChilenodes Platnick & Forster, 1987... |
4 | 10 | shield spiders | ||
Mimetidae | 13 | 152 | pirate spiders | Oarces reticulatus Oarces reticulatus Oarces reticulatus is a spider species in the family Mimetidae.It is endemic to Chile and adjacent Argentina, where it is widespread.-References:... |
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Uloboroidea Uloboroidea The Uloboroidea are a superfamily of cribellate araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Deinopidae* Uloboridae... |
Deinopidae Deinopidae The spider family Deinopidae consists of stick-like elongate spiders that build unusual webs that they suspend between the front legs. When prey approaches, the spider will stretch the net to two or three times its relaxed size and propel itself onto the prey, entangling it in the web... |
4 | 57 | net-casting spiders | Rufous net-casting spider | |
Uloboridae | 18 | 254 | hackled orb-weaver | Uloborus walckenaerius Uloborus walckenaerius Uloborus walckenaerius is a spider in the family Uloboridae.Females grow up to 6 mm, males up to 4 mm. It has a dark grey prosoma, covered with white hairs, leaving some dark bands uncovered. The spider lives in warm, open terrain, like heathland, and weaves horizontal cribellate webs... |
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Araneoidea Araneoidea The Araneoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain families of eight-eyed spiders:* Anapidae* Araneidae* Cyatholipidae* Linyphiidae* Mysmenidae* Nephilidae* Nesticidae* Pimoidae* Sinopimoidae* Symphytognathidae* Synaphridae... |
Anapidae Anapidae The Anapidae are a family of rather small spiders with 145 described species in 35 genera. Most species are less than 2 mm long.In some species the pedipalps of the female are reduced to coxal stumps.... |
37 | 147 | |||
Araneidae | 167 | 2841 | orb-weaver spiders | Zygiella x-notata Zygiella x-notata Zygiella x-notata is a spider in the family Araneidae.-Description:Z. x-notata females are up to 11mm in size, males up to 7mm. The prosoma is yellow-brown, with a leaf-like mark on the opisthosoma. In moderate climate, adults appear from July to October, sometimes even into December... |
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Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae The Cyatholipidae are a spider family with 58 described species in 23 genera.They were discovered in the late 19th century in Africa. Cyatholipidae live mostly in moist, montane forests... |
23 | 58 | ||||
Linyphiidae Linyphiidae Linyphiidae is a family of spiders, including more than 4,300 described species in 578 genera worldwide. This makes Linyphiidae the second largest family of spiders after the Salticidae. New species are still being discovered throughout the world, and the family is poorly known... |
583 | 4297 | dwarf / money spiders | Blacktailed red sheetweaver Blacktailed red sheetweaver Florinda coccinea is a species of web-building spider belonging to the family Linyphiidae. It is sometimes known as the black-tailed red sheetweaver or the red grass spider. This species is common in the southeastern United States, inhabiting grasslands, lawns and agricultural fields -Description:F... |
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Mysmenidae Mysmenidae The Mysmenidae are a spider family with almost 100 described species in more than twenty genera.-Distribution:Species occur in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, New Guinea and several islands.-Genera:* Acrobleps Hickman, 1979... |
24 | 123 | spurred orb-weavers | Mysmenopsis furtiva Mysmenopsis Mysmenopsis is a kleptoparasitic genus of tiny tropical and subtropical American spiders in the family Mysmenidae. Most live in the funnelwebs of spiders in the family Dipluridae. M. archeri lives on webs of a species in the family Pholcidae, M. capae and M. cienga have been observed living in... |
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Nesticidae | 9 | 195 | cave cobweb spiders | Nesticella marapu Nesticella marapu Nesticella marapu is an eyeless spider from Sumba, Indonesia. It has long legs and weak pigmentation. It is distinguished by all other species in the genus Nesticella by the beak-shaped paracymbium.... |
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Pimoidae Pimoidae The Pimoidae spider family is a rather small group of 37 species in four genera. They are monophyletic, and probably closest related to the Linyphiidae.-Distribution:... |
4 | 33 | Pimoa altioculata | |||
Symphytognathidae Symphytognathidae The Symphytognathidae are a spider family with 44 described species in six genera.The minute species Patu digua with its body size of only 0.37mm is considered to be one of the smallest spiders in the world.-Distribution:... |
7 | 56 | dwarf orb-weavers | Patu digua Patu digua Patu digua is by some accounts considered to be the smallest spider in the world, with males reaching a body size of about 0.37 mm. Small as the head of a pin. However, there are other spider species of similar size where only the female is known. Because male spiders are usually smaller than... |
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Synaphridae Synaphridae The Synaphridae are a spider family with twelve described species in three genera.-Species:Africepheia Miller, 2007* Africepheia madagascariensis Miller, 2007 Cepheia Simon, 1894... |
3 | 12 | ||||
Synotaxidae Synotaxidae The Synotaxidae are a spider family with 68 described species in 13 genera.-Distribution:Species of this family occur in Central and South America, New Zealand and Australia.-Genera:The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan's .... |
14 | 70 | ||||
Tetragnathidae | 47 | 912 | long jawed orb-weavers | Orchard orb weaver | ||
Nephilidae Nephilidae The Nephilidae are a spider family with 75 described species in four genera. They were formerly grouped in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae. The genus Singafrotypa was moved to Araneidae in 2002.All nephilid genera partially renew their webs.... |
4 | 44 | large-jawed spiders | Golden orb-web spider Nephila clavipes Nephila clavipes is a species of golden orb-web spider. It lives in the warmer regions of the Americas. The large size and bright colours of the species make it distinctive... |
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Theridiidae Theridiidae Theridiidae is a large family of spiders, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders. The diverse family includes over 2200 species in over 100 genera) of three-dimensional space-web-builders found throughout the world... |
109 | 2262 | cobweb spiders | Black widow spider Black widow spider Latrodectus mactans, the Southern black widow, is a highly venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The species is... |
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Theridiosomatidae | 12 | 84 | ray spiders | Theridiosoma gemmosum | ||
Lycosoidea Lycosoidea The Lycosoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph eight-eyed spiders, with twelve families:* Ctenidae* Lycosidae* Neolanidae* Oxyopidae* Pisauridae* Psechridae* Senoculidae* Stiphidiidae* Trechaleidae* Zoridae* Zorocratidae* Zoropsidae... |
Ctenidae | 40 | 468 | tropical wolf spiders | Brazilian wandering spider Brazilian wandering spider Phoneutria, commonly known as Brazilian wandering spiders, armed spiders , or banana spiders , are a genus of aggressive and highly venomous spiders found in tropical South and Central America... |
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Lycosidae | 112 | 2293 | wolf spiders | Lycosa tarentula | ||
Oxyopidae | 9 | 417 | lynx spiders | Green lynx spider | ||
Pisauridae | 53 | 334 | nursery web spiders | Fishing spiders | ||
Psechridae Psechridae The Psechridae are a family of spiders with about two dozen species in two living genera.They construct cribellate webs and are related to the Lycosidae. With body lengths of up to 2 cm and funnel webs more than 1 m in diameter, they are the biggest cribellate spiders. Psechrus species have been... |
2 | 26 | ||||
Senoculidae Senoculidae The Senoculidae are a spider family with 31 described species in one genus.-Species:Senoculus Taczanowski, 1872* Senoculus albidus * Senoculus barroanus Chickering, 1941... |
1 | 31 | ||||
Stiphidiidae Stiphidiidae The Stiphidiidae are a spider family with 94 described species in 13 genera. They are generally of medium size and build a horizontal tent-like web under rocks. Most species are speckled brown with long legs.... |
22 | 136 | Tartarus mullamullangensis Tartarus mullamullangensis Tartarus mullamullangensis, informally known as the Mullamullang cave spider, is a palm-sized, long-legged cave spider from Western Australia... |
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Trechaleidae Trechaleidae The Trechaleidae are a spider family with 75 described species in 15 genera.-Distribution:Almost all species in this family live in Central and South America... |
18 | 97 | ||||
Zoridae Zoridae The Zoridae are a spider family with more than 70 described species in 13 genera.Spiders in this family hunt without webs.It is very hard to determine species, especially in the Zora genus.-Distribution:... |
14 | 76 | ||||
Zorocratidae | 5 | 42 | zorocratid spiders | |||
Zoropsidae | 12 | 75 | zoropsid spiders | Zoropsis spinimana Zoropsis spinimana Zoropsis spinimana is a spider species, belonging to the family Zoropsidae.-Distribution:It is distributed widely in the Mediterranean, but reaches into Russia, and was introduced to the United States.-Description:... |
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Agelenoidea Agelenoidea The Agelenoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Agelenidae* Amphinectidae... |
Agelenidae | 42 | 508 | araneomorph funnel-web spiders | Hobo spider Hobo spider The hobo spider is a member of the genus of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders, but not to be confused with the Australian funnel-web spider. It is one of a small number of spiders in North America whose bites are generally considered to be medically significant... |
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Amphinectidae Amphinectidae The Amphinectidae are a spider family with about 180 described species in 35 genera.The family Neolanidae, with its only genus Neolana, was merged into this family in 2005.-Distribution:... |
32 | 159 | Metaltella simoni | |||
Amaurobioidea | Amaurobiidae | 74 | 731 | tangled nest spiders | Callobius claustrarius Callobius claustrarius Males of the spider species Callobius claustrarius reach 8 mm, females about 11 mm. Head and legs are reddish brown, the abdomen is dark grey with an extended brown surface, dotted with lighter brown specks.... |
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Dictynoidea Dictynoidea The Dictynoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain six families of eight-eyed spiders:* Anyphaenidae* Cybaeidae* Desidae* Dictynidae* Hahniidae* Nicodamidae... |
Anyphaenidae | 56 | 508 | anyphaenid sac spiders | Yellow ghost spider Hibana velox Hibana velox is a common spider of North America, for example Texas and Alabama. It can be found in foliage and in houses. It is useful in preying on insects like the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella .-References:* Becker, L. . Diagnoses de nouvelles aranéides américaines. Ann. Soc. ent... |
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Cybaeidae Cybaeidae Cybaeidae is a family of spiders comprising twelve genera.-Genera:* Argyroneta Latreille, 1804 * Cedicoides Charitonov, 1946 * Cedicus Simon, 1875... |
12 | 162 | Water spider | |||
Desidae | 38 | 181 | intertidal spiders | Foliage webbing spider Phryganoporus candidus The Foliage webbing spider is a spider widespread, but endemic in Australia. It is up to 10 mm long, silvery grey to brown with a pattern of light and dark brown markings on the abdomen. Unlike most other spiders, P. candidus lives socially at one stage: Spiderlings live together in a nest... |
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Dictynidae | 48 | 555 | dictynid spiders | Nigma walckenaeri Nigma walckenaeri Nigma walckenaeri is a green, cribellate spider up to 5 millimetres long, the biggest of the family Dictynidae. While most of the body is a bit yellowish, the abdomen is a shining green, which makes it rather distinct and hard to confuse with other species. The green color makes it almost... |
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Hahniidae | 26 | 236 | dwarf sheet spiders | |||
Nicodamidae Nicodamidae The Nicodamidae are a spider family with 29 species in nine genera.They are small to medium sized spiders found in small sheet webs close to the ground in eucalypt forests... |
9 | 29 | ||||
Sparassoidea | Sparassidae | 83 | 1061 | huntsman spiders | Avondale spider Avondale spider Delena cancerides, the flat huntsman spider or social huntsman spider, is a large, brown huntsman spider native to Australia. It has been introduced to New Zealand, where it is sometimes known as the Avondale spider... |
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Selenopoidea | Selenopidae | 5 | 193 | wall spiders | Selenops radiatus | |
Zodaroidea | Zodariidae | 75 | 892 | zodariid ground spiders | Zodarion germanicum Zodarion germanicum Zodarion germanicum is a spider species of the Zodariidae family.Like most Zodariidae, Z. germanicum is an ant-eating spider. It resembles ants structurally and behaviorally. Z. germanicum specifically mimics large dark ants, such as Formica cinerea, F. truncorum, and Camponotus ligniperda.Z.... |
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Tengelloidea | Tengellidae | 8 | 50 | tengellid spiders | ||
incertae sedis Incertae sedis , is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any... |
Chummidae Chummidae The Chummidae are a tiny spider family with only two described species in one genus. Both were first described in 2001. Both species are known from males and females.... |
1 | 2 | |||
Clubionidae | 14 | 547 | sac spiders | Clubiona trivialis Clubiona trivialis Clubiona trivialis is a small reddish brown spider with holarctic distribution. It is found in exposed places on low vegetation. Adults can be found throughout the year.-External links:**... |
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Cycloctenidae Cycloctenidae Cycloctenidae is a spider family with 36 described species in 5 genera. The genera Plectophanes , Toxopsiella and Uzakia are all endemic to New Zealand, Cycloctenus is found in both Australia and New Zealand , while Galliena is endemic to Java... |
5 | 36 | ||||
Homalonychidae Homalonychidae The Homalonychidae are a very small spider family with three described species in one genus.They do not build webs and are typically found under rocks or dead vegetation. At least the two North American species live in deserts, to which they are adapted by color and specialized setae which allow... |
1 | 3 | ||||
Miturgidae | 28 | 346 | long-legged sac spiders | Yellow sac spider Yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium inclusum, alternately known as the black-footed yellow sac spider or the American yellow sac spider , was formerly classified as a true sac spider , but now belongs to the long-legged sac spiders... |
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Titanoecoidea Titanoecoidea The Titanoecoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Phyxelididae* Titanoecidae... |
Phyxelididae Phyxelididae The Phyxelididae are a spider family with 54 described species in twelve genera. They are grouped with the Titanoecidae within the Titanoecoidea superfamily.-Genera:* Ambohima Griswold, 1990 * Kulalania Griswold, 1990... |
12 | 54 | |||
Titanoecidae | 5 | 43 | titanoecid spiders | Goeldia obscura Goeldia obscura Goeldia obscura is a spider species from Colombia and Peru. It is not to be confused with Titanoeca quadriguttata from Europe; both shared the name Titanoeca obscura, but at different times. While G. obscura was never cited as T. obscura since its original description in 1878, T. quadriguttata was... |
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Gnaphosoidea Gnaphosoidea The Gnaphosoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph, mostly eight-eyed spiders, with seven families:* Ammoxenidae* Cithaeronidae * Gallieniellidae* Gnaphosidae* Lamponidae* Prodidomidae* Trochanteriidae... |
Ammoxenidae Ammoxenidae The Ammoxenidae are a small spider family with 18 species in four genera.-Distribution:Two genera occur in Africa, the other two in Australia.-Species:Ammoxenus Simon, 1893... |
4 | 18 | |||
Cithaeronidae Cithaeronidae The Cithaeronidae are a small spider family with only six species in two genera.-Biology:Cithaeronidae are fast moving spiders which actively hunt at night and rest during the day in silken retreats they construct below rocks.. Female Cithaeron are about 5 to 7 mm long, males about 4 mm... |
2 | 6 | ||||
Gallieniellidae Gallieniellidae The Gallieniellidae are a spider family with 48 species in ten genera.The species of this family are suspected to be specialized in ant-preying.-Distribution:... |
10 | 48 | ||||
Gnaphosidae | 112 | 2047 | flat-bellied ground spiders | Drassodes lapidosus Drassodes Drassodes is a spider genus in the family Gnaphosidae. They can reach a length of about 20mm; the brownish spiders live under rocks or bark in mostly dry habitats.-References: : , version 8.0. American Museum of Natural History.... |
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Lamponidae Lamponidae The Lamponidae are a spider family with about 200 described species in 23 genera.-Distribution:Species from this family are generally endemic to Australia, with the genus Centrocalia endemic to New Caledonia, and two Lampona species also occurring in New Zealand... |
23 | 192 | white-tailed spiders | White-tailed spider White-tailed spider White-tailed spiders are medium-sized spiders native to southern and eastern Australia, and so named because of the whitish tips at the end of their abdomens. Common species are Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina. Both these species have been introduced to New Zealand.White-tailed spiders are... |
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Prodidomidae Prodidomidae The Prodidomidae are a spider family with about 300 species in 31 genera. They are sometimes called Long-Spinneret Ground Spiders.This family is part of the superfamily Gnaphosoidea. They are easily identified by the greatly elongated base of the piriform gland spigots. At least parts of their body... |
30 | 302 | long-spinneret ground spiders | Lygromma anops Lygromma anops Lygromma anops is one of only three known eyeless spiders in the superfamily Gnaphosoidea, and one of only two known troglobites . It is found in lava caves on Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos.It is possible that L... |
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Trochanteriidae Trochanteriidae The Trochanteriidae are a spider family with 149 species in 18 genera.-Distribution:Most genera are endemic to Australia.Doliomalus is endemic to Chile, Trochanteria to Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.... |
19 | 152 | ||||
Thomisoidea | Philodromidae | 27 | 520 | philodromid crab spiders | Philodromus dispar Philodromus dispar Philodromus dispar is a philodromid crab spider found on trees and bushes.It is an agile hunter. The female of the species is variable in size and colour. The male is black or dark brown with white edges.... |
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Thomisidae | 173 | 2040 | crab spiders | Goldenrod spider Misumena vatia Misumena vatia is a species of crab spider with holarctic distribution. In North America, where it is the largest and best-known flower spider, it is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower spider, because it is commonly found hunting in goldenrod sprays in the autumn.Young males in the early... |
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Salticoidea | Salticidae | 567 | 5192 | jumping spiders | Zebra spider | |
Corinnoidea Corinnoidea The Corinnoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Corinnidae* Liocranidae... |
Corinnidae | 80 | 940 | dark sac spiders | Castianeira sp. Castianeira Castianeira is a genus of spiders present in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas.Some of its species mimic ants; others prey on them.-References:... |
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Liocranidae | 30 | 166 | liocranid sac spiders | |||
3 | ca. 38 | 109 | 3747 | 40288 | Total |
- Sources:
- The World Spider Catalog, Version 8.0 (families, species count)
- Synopsis of the described Araneae of the World (suborders)