Hahniidae
Guides
Antistea
dwarf sheet spiders
Antistea is a genus of dwarf sheet spiders in the family Hahniidae, established by Eugène Simon in 1898. The genus contains only two species: A. brunnea (Palearctic) and A. elegans (Nearctic), together forming a Holarctic distribution pattern. These spiders are among the least commonly encountered hahniids due to their small size and cryptic habits.
Antistea brunnea
Antistea brunnea is a small true spider in the family Hahniidae, commonly known as the comb-tailed spiders or dwarf sheet spiders. This species is one of the larger members of the genus Antistea and ranges across northeastern North America. It builds thin, sheet-like webs across small depressions in soil, often in mammal footprints. The species is seldom encountered due to its small size and cryptic habits.
Hahnia
comb-tailed spiders, dwarf sheet spiders
Hahnia is the most species-rich genus of the comb-tailed spider family Hahniidae, with approximately 102 valid species distributed worldwide. These spiders are small, cryptic arachnids characterized by their distinctive spinneret arrangement. Most species are under 4 mm in body length as adults. The genus was established by C. L. Koch in 1841 and was formerly classified within Agelenidae until recognized as a distinct family. Species occur across diverse habitats including caves, forest litter, and under bark.
Hahnia cinerea
Ash Hahniid Spider
Hahnia cinerea is a small true spider in the family Hahniidae, commonly known as the Ash Hahniid Spider. It belongs to the subfamily Hahniinae, whose members are characterized by having all six spinnerets arranged in a single transverse row across the back of the abdomen, resembling the teeth of a comb—hence the common name 'comb-tailed spiders.' The species was described by Emerton in 1890 and occurs in North America.
Hahnia glacialis
Hahnia glacialis is a species of dwarf sheet spider in the family Hahniidae, first described by Sørensen in 1898. It is among the smallest members of its family, with adult body lengths under 4 millimeters. The species has a Holarctic distribution, occurring in cold-adapted regions of northern North America and Eurasia. Like other hahniids, it possesses the distinctive comb-like arrangement of spinnerets that gives the family its common name.
Neoantistea
dwarf sheet spiders
Neoantistea is a genus of dwarf sheet spiders in the family Hahniidae, established by Willis J. Gertsch in 1934. The genus contains approximately 25 species distributed across North America, Mexico, and parts of Asia. These spiders are characterized by their small size, with most adults under 4 mm in body length. Neoantistea is notable within the Hahniinae for being one of the few genera that constructs webs, unlike related genera such as Hahnia and Antistea.
Neoantistea magna
Thick-hooked Comb-tailed Spider
Neoantistea magna is a species of true spider in the family Hahniidae, a group commonly known as the sheet-web weaving spiders. It is found in the United States and Canada, with records from Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. The species belongs to the marronoid clade, a genetically defined group of spiders that includes diverse ecologies and behaviors. The common name "Thick-hooked Comb-tailed Spider" refers to characteristic structures on the posterior abdomen.