| Tangle web spiders | ||||||||||||
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 Steatoda bipunctata
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| Diversity | ||||||||||||
| 87 genera, 2248 species | ||||||||||||
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Achaearanea |
The tangle-web spiders, also known as cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders (family Theridiidae) are a large group (over 2200 species in 87 genera [1]) of three-dimensional space-web-builders found throughout the world. The characteristics of this family of spiders are that they are entelegyne (have a genital plate in the female) araneomorph ecribellate (use sticky capture silk instead of woolly silk) spiders that build tangle space webs and have a comb of serrated bristles (setae) on the tarsus of the fourth leg. The family includes the genus Latrodectus, the notorious widow spiders. The family also contains the kleptoparasitic species of the subfamily Argyrodinae (including Argyrodes, Faiditus, and Neospintharus) which often have triangular bodies. These spiders live in the webs of larger spiders and pilfer small prey caught by their host's web, eat prey killed by the host spider, and may consume silk from the host web. They sometimes attack and eat the host. The largest genus with over 600 species currently placed in it is Theridion, but it is not monophyletic. Another large, but most likely polyphyletic genus is Achaearanea, that includes the common house spider. Many theridiids trap ants and other ground dwelling insects by means of elastic sticky silk trap lines leading to the soil surface. One species in Theridion, the Hawaiian T. grallator, is known as the "happyface" spider, as certain morphs have a pattern uncannily resembling a smiley face or a grinning clown face on their yellow body.
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Systematics
Recent years have seen advances in the systematics of cobweb spiders with phylogenies reconstructed using both morphological and molecular data. The following classification is built on these results (see also Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog.
- Argyrodinae
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- Argyrodes Simon, 1864
- Neospintharus Exline, 1950
- Ariamnes Thorell, 1869
- Deelemanella Yoshida, 2003
- Faiditus Keyserling, 1884
- Rhomphaea L. Koch, 1872
- Spheropistha Yaginuma, 1957
- Hadrotarsinae
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- Anatea Berland, 1927
- Audifia Keyserling, 1884
- Dipoena Thorell, 1869
- Dipoenata Wunderlich, 1988
- Emertonella Bryant, 1945
- Euryopis Menge, 1868
- Eurypoena Wunderlich, 1992
- Gmogala Keyserling, 1890
- Guaraniella Baert, 1984
- Hadrotarsus Thorell, 1881
- Lasaeola Simon, 1881
- Phycosoma O. P.-Cambridge, 1879
- Yaginumena Yoshida, 2002
- Yoroa Baert, 1984
- Latrodectinae Petrunkevitch, 1928
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- Crustulina Menge, 1868
- Latrodectus Walckenaer, 1805
- Steatoda Sundevall, 1833
- Pholcommatinae Simon, 1894
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- Asygyna Agnarsson, 2006
- Carniella Thaler & Steinberger, 1988
- Cerocida Simon, 1894
- Craspedisia Simon, 1894
- Enoplognatha Pavesi, 1880
- Helvidia Thorell, 1890
- Pholcomma Thorell, 1869
- Phoroncidia Westwood, 1835
- Proboscidula Miller, 1970
- Robertus O. P.-Cambridge, 1879
- Selkirkiella Berland, 1924
- Styposis Simon, 1894
- Theonoe Simon, 1881
- Wirada Keyserling, 1886
- Sphintharinae
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- Chrosiothes Simon, 1894
- Episinus Walckenaer, in Latreille, 1809
- Moneta O. P.-Cambridge, 1870
- Spintharus Hentz, 1850
- Thwaitesia O. P.-Cambridge, 1881
- Stemmops O. P.-Cambridge, 1894
- Theridiinae
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- Achaearanea Strand, 1929
- Achaearyopa Barrion & Litsinger, 1995
- Ameridion Wunderlich, 1995
- Cabello Levi, 1964
- Cephalobares O. P.-Cambridge, 1870
- Chrysso O. P.-Cambridge, 1882
- Coleosoma O. P.-Cambridge, 1882
- Cyllognatha L. Koch, 1872
- Dipoenura Simon, 1908
- Echinotheridion Levi, 1963
- Exalbidion Wunderlich, 1995
- Helvibis Keyserling, 1884
- Histagonia Simon, 1895
- Jamaitidion Wunderlich, 1995
- Keijia Yoshida, 2001
- Macaridion Wunderlich, 1992
- Molione Thorell, 1892
- Neottiura Menge, 1868
- Nesticodes Archer, 1950
- Nipponidion Yoshida, 2001
- Paratheridula Levi, 1957
- Propostira Simon, 1894
- Rugathodes Archer, 1950
- Sardinidion Wunderlich, 1995
- Simitidion Wunderlich, 1992
- Takayus Yoshida, 2001
- Tekellina Levi, 1957
- Theridion Walckenaer, 1805
- Theridula Emerton, 1882
- Thymoites Keyserling, 1884
- Tidarren Chamberlin & Ivie, 1934
- Wamba O. P.-Cambridge, 1896
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- Anelosimus Simon, 1891
- Astodipoena Petrunkevitch, 1958 † (fossil, cretaceous)
- Chorizopella Lawrence, 1947
- Clya Koch & Berendt, 1854 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Coscinida Simon, 1895
- Cretaraneus Selden, 1990 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Eodipoena Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Eoysmena Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Flegia Koch & Berendt, 1854 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Hetschkia Keyserling, 1886
- Icona Forster, 1955
- Kochiura Archer, 1950
- Landoppo Barrion & Litsinger, 1995
- Marianana Georgescu, 1989
- Mictodipoena Petrunkevitch, 1958 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Municeps Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Nactodipoena Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil, Cretaceous)
- Paidiscura Archer, 1950
- Tomoxena Simon, 1895
- Zercidium Benoit, 1977
Gallery
 Cobweb spider. |
 Cobweb spider; ventral view. |
See also
- List of Theridiidae species
- Spider families
- Cobweb habitude spiders
- Theridiid webs
References
- Agnarsson I. 2006a. A revision of the New World eximius lineage of Anelosimus (Araneae, Theridiidae) and a phylogenetic analysis using worldwide exemplars. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146: 453-593. PDF
- Agnarsson I. 2006b. Asymmetric female genitalia and other remarkable morphology in a new genus of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae, Araneae) from Madagascar. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 87: 211-232. PDF
- Agnarsson I. 2006c. Phylogenetic placement of Echinotheridion (Araneae: Theridiidae) - do male sexual organ removal, emasculation, and sexual cannibalism in Echinotheridion and Tidarren represent evolutionary replicas? Invertebrate Systematics 20: 415-429. PDF
- Agnarsson I. 2004. Morphological phylogeny of cobweb spiders and their relatives (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 141: 447-626. PDF
- Cooperative behavior of Anelosimus jabaquara (2002). PDF
- Arnedo, M.A., Coddington, J., Agnarsson, I. & Gillespie, R.G. (2004). From a comb to a tree: phylogenetic relationships of the comb-footed spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31:225-245. PDF
- Arnedo MA, Agnarsson I, Gillespie RG. In Press. Molecular insights into the phylogenetic structure of the spider genus Theridion (Araneae, Theridiidae) and the origin of the Hawaiian Theridion-like fauna. Zoologica Scripta.
External links
