Dictynidae
Guides
Argenna obesa
Plump Dictynid Spider
Argenna obesa is a small spider in the family Dictynidae, described by Emerton in 1911. It is known from prairie and grassland regions of central North America. The species is characterized by a notably plump, rounded abdomen that distinguishes it from related dictynid spiders. Records indicate it occurs in the Canadian prairies and north-central United States. Very little is known of its biology or ecological role.
Dictyna
Dictyna is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, comprising approximately 118 species. These spiders are characterized by their irregular hackled band webs used for prey capture. Some species exhibit social behavior, with females showing gregarious tendencies in web aggregation. The genus serves as host for parasitoid wasps including Zatypota anomala.
Dictyna alaskae
Alaska mesh web weaver
Dictyna alaskae is a small spider species in the family Dictynidae, commonly known as mesh web weavers. The species was described in 1947 and has a Holarctic distribution spanning boreal and subarctic regions. It constructs irregular, mesh-like webs to capture prey. The specific epithet references Alaska, where the species was first described.
Dictyna longispina
Dictyna longispina is a small cribellate spider in the family Dictynidae, described by Emerton in 1888. The species is known from northeastern North America, where it constructs irregular, tangled webs to capture prey. Like other Dictyna species, it possesses a cribellum—a silk-producing organ that generates woolly, adhesive silk. The specific epithet 'longispina' refers to the elongated spines characteristic of this species.
Dictyna major
mesh web weaver
Dictyna major is a species of mesh web weaving spider in the family Dictynidae, first described by Menge in 1869. It belongs to a family characterized by irregular, mesh-like webs rather than the organized spiral webs of orb-weavers. The species has a notably broad distribution spanning multiple continents, including North America, Europe, and Asia.
Dictyna volucripes
mesh web weaver
Dictyna volucripes is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, first described by Keyserling in 1881. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba in Canada. The species includes two recognized subspecies: D. v. volucripes and D. v. volucripoides.
Emblyna
Emblyna is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, first described by R. V. Chamberlin in 1948. The genus contains approximately 76 species with a broad geographic distribution spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Emblyna species are small to medium-sized spiders that construct irregular, tangled webs. Two species, E. francisca and E. reticulata, have been documented to exhibit behavioral niche partitioning, allowing coexistence in sympatric populations.
Emblyna annulipes
Mesh Web Weaver
Emblyna annulipes is a small spider species in the family Dictynidae, commonly known as mesh web weavers. The species was first described by Blackwall in 1846 under the name Ergatis annulipes. It has been recorded across a broad geographic range spanning North America, Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus region, and the Russian Far East. As with other dictynids, it constructs irregular, mesh-like webs rather than the spiral orb webs characteristic of many spiders.
Emblyna borealis
Emblyna borealis is a spider species in the family Dictynidae, distributed across boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species occurs in Arctic and subarctic environments including Greenland, northeastern Siberia, Canada, and the United States. As a member of the mesh-web weavers, it constructs characteristic tangled webs.
Emblyna borealis cavernosa
Emblyna borealis cavernosa is a subspecies of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. It is known from high-latitude and high-altitude regions of the northern hemisphere, including Greenland, northern Canada, and northeastern Siberia. The subspecies designation suggests cave-associated or subterranean habitat preferences, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. Like other dictynid spiders, it constructs irregular mesh webs for prey capture.
Emblyna hentzi
mesh web weaver
Emblyna hentzi is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. It was described by Kaston in 1945. The species is found in the United States and Canada, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented.
Emblyna manitoba
mesh web weaver
Emblyna manitoba is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. The species was described by Ivie in 1947 and is known to occur in the United States and Canada. As a member of Dictynidae, it constructs irregular, mesh-like webs for prey capture. The specific epithet "manitoba" suggests a type locality or association with the Canadian province of Manitoba.
Emblyna oregona
Emblyna oregona is a species of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, described by Gertsch in 1946. The species epithet "oregona" indicates an association with Oregon, suggesting a Pacific Northwest distribution. As with other members of the genus Emblyna, this species constructs irregular, tangled mesh webs rather than the spiral orb webs characteristic of many spiders. The genus Emblyna belongs to the family Dictynidae, a group of small to medium-sized spiders known for their cribellate silk production and preference for vegetation-dwelling habits.
Emblyna phylax
mesh web weaver
Emblyna phylax is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. It was described by Gertsch and Ivie in 1936. The species is known from the United States and Canada.
Emblyna saylori
Emblyna saylori is a species of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, described by Chamberlin and Ivie in 1941. The species is known from the United States. Like other members of the genus, it likely constructs irregular, tangled mesh webs for prey capture.
Emblyna uintana
Emblyna uintana is a species of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, first described by Chamberlin in 1919. It belongs to a genus of small spiders that construct irregular, tangled webs. The species is known from the western United States, with records from Utah and surrounding regions. Like other dictynids, it is a small-bodied spider with relatively simple web architecture compared to orb-weaving relatives.
Kulcania tomentosa
Kulcania tomentosa is a species of cribellate spider in the family Dictynidae. The genus Kulcania was established by Lehtinen in 1967, with species characterized by their cribellate silk production and association with specific habitat types. Dictynidae spiders are generally small to medium-sized web-builders that construct irregular, tangled webs often called 'cobwebs' or 'mesh webs.' The specific epithet 'tomentosa' refers to a hairy or woolly appearance, likely describing the spider's pubescence.
Mallos
Mexican Social Spiders
Mallos is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1902. The genus is notable for including social spider species, particularly *Mallos gregalis*, which lives in groups and communicates through web vibrations. These spiders produce cribellate silk, a type of woolly, non-sticky silk used in prey capture. The genus has been the subject of systematic research, including studies on their spinning apparatus evolution.
Mallos niveus
Mallos niveus is a species of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. It was described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1902. The species belongs to a genus whose members are known for their social web-building behavior, though species-specific documentation for M. niveus remains limited. It occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Mallos pallidus
Mallos pallidus is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, first described by Banks in 1904. It is found in the United States and Mexico. The genus Mallos belongs to the cribellate spider lineage, characterized by the presence of a cribellum—a silk-producing organ that generates woolly, non-sticky silk used in prey capture.
Phantyna bicornis
mesh web weaver
Phantyna bicornis is a species of mesh web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae. It was described by Emerton in 1915. The species is known from North America, with records from the United States and Canada.
Saltonia incerta
Rare sheet-web-weaving spider, sole representative of monotypic genus Saltonia. Restricted to salt crusts of intermittent or dry lakes, streams, and rivers in desert southwestern North America. Previously presumed extinct following 1905 flooding of type locality at Salton Sea, but rediscovered in 1990s at multiple sites. Genetic analyses reveal significant population structure with two major clades (New Mexico versus California-northern Baja California) and minimal gene flow among isolated populations in fragmented desert salt flat habitats.
Thallumetus pineus
Thallumetus pineus is a species of mesh-web weaver spider in the family Dictynidae, first described from specimens collected in the United States. It belongs to a genus of small spiders that construct irregular, tangled webs. The species epithet 'pineus' suggests an association with pine habitats. Very little is documented about its specific biology or ecology.
Tivyna
Tivyna is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, established by R. V. Chamberlin in 1948. The genus contains four species, all but one restricted to the United States. One species, T. spatula, has a broader Caribbean distribution including Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas. These spiders are characterized by the presence of a cribellum, a silk-producing organ used to create woolly, non-sticky capture silk.
Zatypota anomala
Zatypota anomala is a koinobiont ichneumonid wasp in the tribe Ephialtini that parasitizes mesh web weaving spiders in the family Dictynidae. It is strictly specialized on Dictyna and Nigma spiders in Europe, with a distribution concentrated at mid-elevations in central European forest ecotones. The species exhibits elevation-dependent host partitioning, parasitizing Nigma at lower elevations (179–254 m a.s.l.) and Dictyna at higher elevations (361–870 m a.s.l.). First recorded from Italy in 2022, parasitizing Dictyna pusilla.