Debris-encrusted
Guides
Homalonychidae
encrusted spiders, dusty desert spiders, American sand assassins
Homalonychidae is a small family of spiders containing a single genus, Homalonychus, with three described species. These spiders are characterized by their distinctive 'encrusted' appearance caused by soil and debris adhering to short, stiff setae covering their bodies. They are medium-sized, non-web-building spiders found in arid regions of southwestern North America and northwestern Mexico. Their phylogenetic placement remains uncertain due to a combination of advanced morphological features and primitive behavioral traits.