Cobweb-weavers
Guides
Microdipoena
dwarf cobweb weaver spiders
Microdipoena is a genus of minute cobweb-weaving spiders in the family Mysmenidae. First described by Nathan Banks in 1895, it contains 21 species as of 2025. The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, being absent only from Antarctica. Members are among the smallest spiders, typically inhabiting leaf litter and ground-level vegetation.
Steatoda
False Widow Spiders, Cupboard Spiders
Steatoda is a genus of cobweb spiders in the family Theridiidae containing approximately 120 recognized species with worldwide distribution. Many species are synanthropic, commonly found in human dwellings, sheds, garages, and undisturbed corners. Members are frequently mistaken for widow spiders (Latrodectus) due to similar body shape and web structure, earning them the common name "false widows," though they are significantly less harmful to humans. The genus includes both native and invasive species, with Steatoda nobilis (Noble False Widow) being particularly notable for its rapid range expansion in Europe and North America.
Theridion
tangle-web spiders
Theridion is a large genus of tangle-web spiders (family Theridiidae) with nearly 600 described species distributed worldwide. The genus has historically served as a wastebasket taxon for theridiid species lacking a colulus that did not fit into other genera. Notable species include T. grallator, the Hawaiian happy face spider, recognized for its distinctive abdominal color patterns, and T. nigroannulatum, one of few spider species known to live in social groups and hunt cooperatively. Molecular studies have revealed that Theridion as traditionally defined is para- or polyphyletic, with Hawaiian representatives representing at least two independent colonization events from different continental sources.