Cave-spider
Guides
Cicurina madla
Madla Cave meshweaver, Madla's Cave Meshweaver
Cicurina madla is a federally endangered troglobitic spider endemic to karst caves in Bexar County, Texas. First described by Gertsch in 1992, it was synonymized with Cicurina venii in 2018. The species is completely eyeless and exhibits morphological adaptations to cave life, including elongated legs relative to body size. It is known from only eight to nine caves and depends on cave crickets as a food source.
Islandiana
dwarf spiders, money spiders
Islandiana is a genus of minute sheet-web spiders (family Linyphiidae, subfamily Erigoninae) first described by J. Braendegaard in 1932. The genus currently comprises 15 described species, with the majority distributed across North America. Several species exhibit obligate cave-dwelling habits, making the genus notable among subterranean spider faunas. The most recently described species, Islandiana lewisi, was identified in 2018 from a single cave in southern Indiana after a 30-year gap in new species descriptions for the genus.
Nesticus barri
Nesticus barri is a species of cave spider in the family Nesticidae, first described by Willis J. Gertsch in 1984. The species is endemic to the United States. Members of the genus Nesticus are commonly known as cave cobweb spiders or scaffold web spiders, typically inhabiting dark, humid environments.
Nesticus brimleyi
Nesticus brimleyi is a species of cave-dwelling spider in the family Nesticidae, described by Gertsch in 1984. Members of this genus are commonly known as scaffold web spiders or cave spiders. The species is endemic to the United States.
Nesticus carolinensis
Linville Caverns Spider
Nesticus carolinensis is a species of cave-dwelling spider in the family Nesticidae, first described by Bishop in 1950 under the basionym Ivesia carolinensis. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States and is commonly known as the Linville Caverns Spider. Like other members of the genus Nesticus, it exhibits adaptations to subterranean habitats including reduced pigmentation and elongated appendages.
Theridiosomatidae
ray orbweavers, ray spiders, slingshot spiders
Theridiosomatidae is a small family of orb-weaving spiders known for constructing distinctive cone-shaped or slingshot webs. The family comprises approximately 137 extant species in 20 genera, distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Members are commonly called "ray spiders" or "slingshot spiders" due to their unique web architecture where the web center is pulled back and anchored, then released to propel the spider toward prey. Most species are small, typically under 1 cm in body length. The family exhibits remarkable behavioral diversity in web construction, with some genera showing specialized adaptations including cave-dwelling and high-elevation habitat preferences.
Trogloneta paradoxa
Trogloneta paradoxa is a minute spider species in the family Mysmenidae, first described by Gertsch in 1960. Members of this family are among the smallest spiders known, with body lengths typically under 2 mm. The genus Trogloneta is characterized by a distinctive body shape featuring a disproportionately large, spherical posterior abdomen relative to the cephalothorax. The specific epithet "paradoxa" likely refers to this unusual morphology. The species is known from the United States.
Typhlonesticus silvestrii
Silvestri's Cave Spider
Typhlonesticus silvestrii is a troglobitic spider in the family Nesticidae, first described by Fage in 1929. The species is endemic to cave systems and exhibits adaptations typical of obligate cave-dwellers, including reduced pigmentation and elongated appendages. It represents one of the specialized members of the genus Typhlonesticus, which comprises European cave spiders with restricted distributions. The species was originally described under the genus Nesticus before being transferred to Typhlonesticus.