Biospeleology
Guides
Nesticidae
cave cobweb spiders, scaffold web spiders
Nesticidae is a family of spiders closely allied with Theridiidae (tangle web spiders), distinguished by a comb of serrated bristles on the hind tarsi used to pull silk bands from the spinnerets. The family contains approximately 15 genera and 280 species, with many species associated with caves, overhangs, and subterranean habitats. Members show varying degrees of troglomorphic adaptation, from fully cave-adapted troglobionts to surface-dwelling forms. The genus Nesticus, the type genus, has a global distribution and has undergone extensive radiation in montane regions.
Trichopetalidae
Trichopetalidae is a family of small millipedes in the order Chordeumatida. Adults possess 28 or 30 body segments, counting the collum as the first and the telson as the last. The family comprises seven genera and approximately 43 species, with members exhibiting diverse ecological strategies ranging from surface-dwelling to obligate cave-dwelling (troglobitic) lifestyles.