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Arachnid

  • Why are we afraid of spiders?
    Why are we afraid of spiders? Is it innate or learned? Discover how cultural differences, misconceptions, and social factors shape our perception of these misunderstood creatures. Learn why spiders are less dangerous than you think and challenge your own fear of spiders.
  • Ticks - Not my favorite
    Ticks: tiny parasites, big health risks. This guide covers tick biology, behavior, and disease transmission. Learn effective prevention strategies to safeguard against Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Essential knowledge for outdoor enthusiasts and homeowners alike.

Guides

  • Acanthepeira marion

    Acanthepeira marion is an orb-weaving spider in the family Araneidae, first described by Levi in 1976. The species is distributed across the United States and Mexico. As a member of the genus Acanthepeira, it shares the distinctive spiny abdominal tubercles characteristic of this group of orbweavers.

  • Acari

    Mites and Ticks, mites, ticks

    Acari is a subclass of arachnids containing mites and ticks. The group exhibits extraordinary diversity with fossil records dating to the early Devonian period. Recent phylogenetic analyses have challenged the monophyly of Acari, suggesting that the two main lineages—Parasitiformes (ticks and allies) and Acariformes (dust mites, spider mites, chiggers, and allies)—may not share a single common ancestor exclusive of other arachnids. This would render Acari a paraphyletic or polyphyletic grouping rather than a natural taxon. The traditional unifying character, the gnathosoma (a modified mouthpart region), has been shown to be absent or differently constructed in many species across both lineages.

  • Aceria caulis

    Black Walnut Petiole Gall Mite

    Aceria caulis, the Black Walnut Petiole Gall Mite, is an eriophyid mite in the superfamily Eriophyoidea. Like other members of its genus, this species is a plant parasite that induces abnormal plant growth. The specific epithet 'caulis' and common name suggest association with walnut petioles, though detailed biological studies of this particular species appear limited in the available literature.

  • Aceria cephalanthi

    Buttonbush Mite

    Aceria cephalanthi, commonly known as the Buttonbush Mite, is an eriophyid mite in the genus Aceria. Eriophyid mites are minute, worm-like arachnids with four legs that are specialized plant parasites. Members of this genus typically infest specific host plants, with this species associated with buttonbush (Cephalanthus). Like other eriophyids, it likely has a short development period and lives in protected areas of the plant.

  • Aceria vaga

    Aceria vaga is a species of eriophyid mite in the family Eriophyidae. Eriophyid mites are minute, worm-like arachnids with four legs that are specialized plant parasites. Many species in this group cause distinctive growth abnormalities on their host plants, including galls, witches' brooms, and leaf distortions. Aceria vaga is among the numerous eriophyid species that remain poorly studied despite the group's significant agricultural and ecological importance.

  • Acuclavella shoshone

    Acuclavella shoshone is a species of harvestman (order Opiliones) in the family Ischyropsalididae. It was described by Shear in 1986 and is known from North America. The specific epithet "shoshone" likely refers to the Shoshone region or peoples, reflecting its geographic association. As a member of the suborder Dyspnoi, it belongs to a group of harvestmen characterized by particular respiratory and morphological features. Very little detailed biological information has been published for this species.

  • Acuminochernes

    Acuminochernes is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chernetidae. It was erected by C. Clayton Hoff in 1949. Published information on the morphology, ecology, and distribution of this genus remains sparse.

  • Adisomus

    hubbardiid short-tailed whipscorpions

    Adisomus is a monotypic genus of hubbardiid short-tailed whipscorpions described by Cokendolpher & Reddell in 2000. It contains a single species, Adisomus duckei. The genus is recorded from Brazil.

  • Agnyphantes arboreus

    Agnyphantes arboreus is a species of sheet-web weaver spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Emerton in 1915 under the name Bathyphantes arborea. It is a small spider native to western North America, with confirmed records from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Like other linyphiids, it constructs flat sheet webs to capture prey. The species epithet 'arboreus' suggests an association with trees or woody vegetation.

  • Agyneta serrata

    Agyneta serrata is a sheet weaver spider described by Emerton in 1909. It belongs to the family Linyphiidae, one of the largest families of spiders commonly known as money spiders or sheet web weavers. The species has been documented in Canada and the United States.

  • Allocosa sublata

    Allocosa sublata is a species of wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, first described by Montgomery in 1902. It is a ground-dwelling spider known from the United States. Very few observations exist in public databases, with only five records on iNaturalist as of the latest data. The genus Allocosa contains multiple North American species, many of which occupy similar terrestrial habitats.

  • Amblypygi

    whip spiders, tailless whip scorpions, amblypygids

    Amblypygi is an ancient order of arachnids comprising approximately 280 species across five families. These nocturnal predators are characterized by extremely elongated first pair of legs modified as sensory "whips" and raptorial pedipalps for capturing prey. They lack venom glands, silk production, and the tail-like flagellum present in their relatives the whip scorpions (Uropygi). Several species exhibit unusual social behaviors including maternal care and kin recognition.

  • Americocreagris

    Americocreagris is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Neobisiidae, described by B. Curcic in 1982. It belongs to the order Pseudoscorpiones within the class Arachnida. iNaturalist currently reports zero observations for this genus, indicating it is either extremely rare, undersampled, or restricted to habitats not frequently inventoried by citizen scientists.

  • Ammotrechella stimpsoni

    Florida Camel Spider

    Ammotrechella stimpsoni is a species of solifugid (camel spider) in the family Ammotrechidae, commonly known as the Florida Camel Spider. It is one of the few solifugid species found in the southeastern United States, representing a group of arachnids more commonly associated with arid regions. The species was described by Putnam in 1883. Like other solifugids, it possesses large chelicerae and is an active predator.

  • Anahita punctulata

    Southeastern Wandering Spider

    Anahita punctulata, commonly known as the southeastern wandering spider, is a species of wandering spider in the family Ctenidae. It is found in the United States. The species was first described by Hentz in 1844.

  • Anchigarypus californicus

    Anchigarypus californicus is a pseudoscorpion species originally described by Nathan Banks in 1909 as Garypus californicus. The species has since been reclassified from Garypus to Anchigarypus based on morphological and taxonomic revisions. It belongs to the family Garypidae, a group of pseudoscorpions commonly found in coastal and intertidal habitats. The species is known from North America, with records primarily from California and surrounding regions.

  • Ancylotrypa

    Ancylotrypa is a genus of mygalomorph spiders in the family Cyrtaucheniidae. Its species are commonly called African wafer-lid trapdoor spiders. The genus is endemic to Africa, and the cited account lists 43 described species. Members live in silk-lined burrows, but burrow form and activity differ among species.

  • Anyphaena californica

    ghost spider

    Anyphaena californica is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by Banks in 1904. It is native to the western United States, particularly California, where it inhabits various terrestrial environments. As a member of the ghost spider family, it is likely nocturnally active and hunts without constructing permanent webs for prey capture.

  • Anyphaena celer

    ghost spider

    Anyphaena celer is a species of ghost spider (family Anyphaenidae) native to North America. It is one of 32 previously described species in the species-rich celer group within the genus Anyphaena. The species was originally described as Clubiona celer by Hentz in 1847. Like other anyphaenids, it is nocturnally active and associated with vegetation.

  • Anyphaena pectorosa

    Eastern Spurred Ghost Spider

    Anyphaena pectorosa is a species of ghost spider in the family Anyphaenidae, first described by L. Koch in 1866. It belongs to the pectorosa species group, one of five groups recognized within the North American and Mexican Anyphaena fauna. The species is distributed across the United States and Canada. As a member of Anyphaenidae, it is a wandering hunter rather than a web-builder.

  • Apatochernes

    Pseudoscorpion

    Apatochernes is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the subfamily Chernetinae, family Chernetidae. It was described by Beier in 1948. The genus has only three observations on iNaturalist, indicating limited public occurrence data.

  • Aphonopelma gabeli

    Chiricahuan Gray Tarantula

    Aphonopelma gabeli is a medium-sized tarantula species in the family Theraphosidae, native to the Chihuahuan Desert region of the southwestern United States. It is commonly known as the Chiricahuan Gray Tarantula due to its occurrence in the Chiricahua Mountains area of southeastern Arizona and adjacent regions. The species was described by Andrew M. Smith in 1995 and is considered less commonly encountered than the sympatric Texas brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi).

  • Aphonopelma joshua

    Aphonopelma joshua is a species of tarantula in the family Theraphosidae, described by Prentice in 1997. It is native to California, United States. Like other members of the genus Aphonopelma, this species is a large-bodied, ground-dwelling spider that constructs burrows. The genus has undergone significant taxonomic revision, with a 2016 study reducing the number of recognized U.S. species from 55 to 29 based on integrative morphological, molecular, and ecological data.

  • Apollophanes texanus

    Apollophanes texanus is a species of running crab spider in the family Philodromidae. The species was described by Nathan Banks in 1904. It occurs in the southern United States and Mexico. Like other philodromids, it is an active hunter that does not construct webs to capture prey.

  • Araneomorphae

    Typical Spiders, True Spiders, Labidognatha

    Araneomorphae is a suborder of spiders comprising approximately 92% of all living spider species. Members are distinguished by chelicerae (fangs) that oppose each other diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, contrasting with the parallel, downward-pointing fangs of Mygalomorphae. This diverse group includes orb-weavers, cobweb spiders, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, crab spiders, and huntsman spiders. Most species have at most one pair of book lungs and typically exhibit annual life cycles.

  • Arctosa rubicunda

    Redlined Wolf Spider

    Arctosa rubicunda is a wolf spider in the family Lycosidae, commonly known as the Redlined Wolf Spider. It occurs in North America, with confirmed records from the United States and Canada including Alberta and British Columbia. The species has been documented as a host for the spider wasp Priocnemis minorata, which paralyzes it to provision nests for its larvae.

  • Attidops cutleri

    Attidops cutleri is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by Edwards in 1999. The species is known from limited observations, with only 8 documented records on iNaturalist. It occurs in the southern United States and Mexico. Like other salticids, it possesses excellent vision and hunts by stalking prey rather than building webs.

  • Attidops youngi

    Attidops youngi is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae, first described by the Peckhams in 1888. This species is found in the United States and Canada, representing one of the few North American members of the genus Attidops. Like other salticids, it possesses the characteristic enlarged anterior median eyes that provide acute vision for hunting and navigation. The genus Attidops is relatively understudied, with limited published information on the biology and ecology of its constituent species.

  • Attulus finschi

    Attulus finschi is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It occurs across northern regions of North America and Eurasia, with documented populations in Russia (from West Siberia to the Far East), Canada, and the United States. As a member of the Attulus genus, it shares the characteristic jumping ability and visual acuity typical of salticid spiders.

  • Australothele

    Australothele is a genus of Australian spiders in the family Euagridae. Robert Raven described the genus in 1984 during a revision of Australian curtain-web spiders. Published genus-level accounts place its species in New South Wales and Queensland and list Australothele maculata as the type species. Genus-level accounts provide a useful taxonomic outline, but they do not establish one complete set of appearance, habitat, or seasonal traits shared by every member of the genus.

  • Azilia affinis

    Azilia affinis is a species of long-jawed orb-weaver spider in the family Tetragnathidae. It was described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1893. The species occurs from the southern United States through Central America to Panama. Like other members of Tetragnathidae, it possesses elongated chelicerae (jaws) adapted for capturing prey while building orb-shaped webs.

  • Barbaraella

    false scorpions

    Barbaraella is a monotypic genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Chernetidae. It is endemic to Australia and was described in 1995 by arachnologist Mark Harvey. The genus contains a single species known from a highly restricted geographic range.

  • Barronopsis texana

    Barronopsis texana is a species of funnel weaver spider in the family Agelenidae. It belongs to the large-bodied B. texana species group, characterized by distinctive genital morphology and larger body size relative to congeners. The species has been recorded across the United States with over 1,500 observations documented.

  • Bathyphantes brevis

    Short Sheetweb Weaver

    Bathyphantes brevis is a species of sheetweb spider in the family Linyphiidae, first described by Emerton in 1911. It is found in the United States and Canada. As a member of the Linyphiidae, it constructs flat, horizontal sheet webs. The species is part of the diverse genus Bathyphantes, which contains numerous small-bodied spiders.

  • Bathyphantes keeni

    Hump-headed Shield Sheetweaver

    Bathyphantes keeni is a species of sheetweb spider in the family Linyphiidae. It occurs in Canada and the United States. The species is part of the diverse sheetweb weaver group, which constructs flat or dome-shaped webs rather than orb webs. Little specific information has been published on its biology.

  • Beierolpium

    Beierolpium is a genus of pseudoscorpions in the family Olpiidae, described by Jacqueline Heurtault in 1976. The genus is recognized in current taxonomic databases as an accepted genus and includes a set of named species and subspecies; GBIF lists 25 descendants under its accepted genus record. Its members are part of a family of tiny terrestrial arachnids associated with a wide range of ground-level microhabitats, but genus-wide appearance, behavior, and ecology are not sufficiently documented here for a more detailed generalization.

  • Blabomma californicum

    Blabomma californicum is a species of true spider first described by Simon in 1895. It belongs to the family Cybaeidae (previously placed in Dictynidae). The species is notable for having only six eyes rather than the typical eight eyes found in most spiders. It occurs in western North America across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and is listed as imperiled in Canada.

  • Brachypylina

    Brachypylina is a diverse infraorder of oribatid mites (beetle mites) comprising the majority of oribatid species. These mites are characterized by heavily armored, beetle-like bodies with a distinct separation between the notogastral shield and other body regions. They occupy a wide range of terrestrial habitats and play significant roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling.

  • Branchia potens

    Branchia potens is a species of solifuge (sun spider) in the family Ammotrechidae, described by Muma in 1951. It belongs to the genus Branchia, which is classified within the subfamily Saronominae. The species is known from North America. As with many solifuges, detailed biological information remains limited in published literature.

  • Caffrowithius

    Caffrowithius is a genus in the pseudoscorpion family Chernetidae, established by Beier in 1932. It is placed within the order Pseudoscorpiones. Species-level diversity, diagnostic morphology, and ecological data for this genus remain limited in widely accessible sources.

  • Calicina galena

    armoured harvestman

    Calicina galena is a species of armoured harvestman (order Opiliones) in the family Phalangodidae. It was described by Ubick and Briggs in 1989 and is known from North America. As a member of the Laniatores suborder, it possesses the characteristic armoured body form typical of this diverse group of arachnids.

  • Calicina mariposa

    Calicina mariposa is a species of armoured harvestman in the family Phalangodidae. It was originally described as Sitalcina mariposa by Briggs in 1968 before being transferred to the genus Calicina. The species is known from North America. Very little published information exists regarding its biology or ecology.

  • Callidosoma

    Callidosoma is a genus of mites in the family Erythraeidae, subfamily Callidosomatinae. Members are classified within the superfamily Erythraeoidea, a group of predatory mites commonly known as velvet mites or rain mites. The genus was established by Womersley in 1936 and is distributed across multiple continents. Erythraeid mites are generally characterized by their soft, often brightly colored bodies and active predatory habits.

  • Calymmaria

    basket-web weavers

    Calymmaria is a genus of small North American spiders known for their distinctive inverted cone-shaped webs. These araneomorph spiders were first described in 1937 and contain 31 species, with most distributed along the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada. They are primarily nocturnal and construct unique 'basket' webs under bark, rocks, and other sheltered substrates.

  • Calymmaria californica

    Calymmaria californica is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae. It was described by Nathan Banks in 1896. The species is found in the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in published literature.

  • Calymmaria emertoni

    Calymmaria emertoni is a small true spider in the family Cybaeidae (formerly Hahniidae). It is one of approximately 31 Calymmaria species found north of Mexico, with most species restricted to the Pacific coast region. This species is notable for its distinctive basket-shaped web and nocturnal habits.

  • Calymmaria persica

    Calymmaria persica is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae, found in the United States. It belongs to the marronoid clade, a diverse group of small to medium-sized spiders united by genetic rather than obvious morphological characteristics. The species constructs distinctive basket-shaped webs and is primarily nocturnal.

  • Calymmaria suprema

    Calymmaria suprema is a species of true spider in the family Cybaeidae, first described by Chamberlin and Ivie in 1937. It belongs to the genus Calymmaria, which contains 31 species north of Mexico, most restricted to the Pacific coast region. The species occurs in the United States and Canada, though specific details about its biology remain limited in published literature.

  • Castianeira alteranda

    Prairie Ant-mimic Sac Spider

    Castianeira alteranda is a species of ant-mimic spider in the family Corinnidae. It occurs in the northern United States and southern Canada, with records from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The species was described by Gertsch in 1942. Like other members of the genus Castianeira, it exhibits ant-mimicry as a defensive strategy.

  • Castianeira athena

    Castianeira athena is a species of ant-mimic spider in the family Corinnidae, first described by Reiskind in 1969. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits Batesian mimicry of ants as a defensive strategy against predators. The species occurs in the United States and Mexico. As a corinnid spider, it is an active hunter rather than a web-builder.