Pimoa

Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943

large hammockweb spiders

Species Guides

2

Pimoa is a of large hammockweb spiders in the Pimoidae, comprising approximately 86 as of 2026. The genus name derives from the Gosiute language meaning "big legs," referring to the notably long legs of these spiders. Pimoa species are distinguished from their close relatives in Linyphiidae by their substantially larger body size, with females reaching 12 mm in body length. The genus exhibits a disjunct distribution across the Pacific coast of North America, the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain, the Alps, and the Himalayas, with the majority of concentrated in Asia.

Pimoa altioculata by (c) Steve Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Taylor. Used under a CC-BY license.Pimoa by (c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gavin Slater. Used under a CC-BY license.Pimoa altioculata m by G. Blagoev, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pimoa: /ˈpɪmoʊə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Pimoa spiders can be distinguished from the related sheetweb weaver Linyphiidae by their significantly larger body size—males measure 5 mm and females up to 12 mm in body length, with proportionally long legs that make them appear even larger. The webs are fine, net-like, and horizontal, often spanning up to one yard though typically smaller. identification relies primarily on genitalic characters and barcodes.

Images

Habitat

Coniferous forests in rain shadow regions; subterranean including caves in alpine regions; webs constructed in crevices of logs, fences, and retaining walls. Some show minor to hypogean (subterranean) life while retaining higher ability than more specialized cave-dwelling spiders.

Distribution

Pacific coast of North America; Cantabrian Mountains, Spain; Alps; Himalayas; Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; Southwest China. Approximately 15 occur in North America north of Mexico, while 67 species are distributed across Asia.

Life Cycle

Females construct nearly spherical sacs covered with debris for camouflage, containing approximately 80–100 eggs. Developmental stages include egg, , and .

Behavior

Constructs fine, net-like horizontal webs; retreats to crevices during daylight hours; hangs from underside of web at night or on overcast days. has been observed: individuals may break legs off below the patellar (knee) segment to escape without compromising agility.

Similar Taxa

  • LinyphiidaeFormerly classified within this ; distinguished by substantially smaller body size and different web architecture
  • NanoaSister within Pimoidae; and morphologically distinct

Sources and further reading