Haplogyne
Guides
Diguetia
Desertshrub Spiders, Coneweb Spiders
Diguetia is a genus of haplogyne spiders in the family Diguetidae, first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. These six-eyed spiders are endemic to arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, with one species extending into Argentina. They construct distinctive tent-like conewebs with tubular retreats, often camouflaged with plant debris and insect remains. The genus comprises eleven recognized species, seven of which occur north of Mexico.
Diguetia albolineata
desertshrub spider
Diguetia albolineata is a species of desertshrub spider in the family Diguetidae. It is one of seven species in the genus Diguetia occurring north of Mexico. The species is found in the United States and Mexico, inhabiting desert environments where it constructs distinctive horizontal sheet webs with tubular retreats.
Diguetia canities
desert bush spider
Diguetia canities, commonly known as the desert bush spider, is a species of coneweb spider in the family Diguetidae. It is the most widely distributed species in its genus, occurring across desert and semidesert habitats from California to Oklahoma and Texas. The spider constructs a distinctive dome-shaped sheet web with a tubular retreat, often placed in bushes or cacti less than 60 cm above ground. It produces a potent insect-selective venom peptide called Dc1a.
Diguetia mojavea
Desertshrub Spider
Diguetia mojavea is a species of desertshrub spider in the family Diguetidae, endemic to the deserts of the American Southwest. First described by Gertsch in 1958, this species constructs distinctive horizontal sheet webs with dome-shaped retreats amid desert vegetation. As a haplogyne spider, it exhibits relatively primitive reproductive morphology compared to more derived arachnids.
Diguetia signata
desertshrub spider
Diguetia signata is a species of desertshrub spider in the family Diguetidae, first described by Gertsch in 1958. It inhabits arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, where it constructs distinctive horizontal sheet webs with central tubular retreats. The species belongs to a primitive spider lineage characterized by simple genital structures.
Diguetidae
coneweb spiders, desertshrub spiders
The Diguetidae are a small family of haplogyne spiders commonly known as coneweb or desertshrub spiders. They are endemic to the New World and primarily associated with arid and desert environments. Members construct distinctive webs featuring a horizontal sheet with a central tubular retreat, often camouflaged with plant debris. The family contains only two genera and approximately 15 species, with the genus Diguetia being the sole representative in North America. These spiders are considered relatively primitive among araneomorphs due to their unmodified female genitalia and simple male pedipalps.
Filistatidae
crevice weavers
Filistatidae are cribellate spiders commonly known as crevice weavers, characterized by their distinctive silk-producing anatomy and retreat-building behavior. Members of this family possess a cribellum—an additional silk-spinning organ—and a calamistrum, a comb of curved hairs on the fourth leg used to card silk into a non-sticky, highly entangling web structure. The family includes synanthropic species that frequently inhabit human structures, as well as species restricted to natural habitats such as arid and semi-arid regions.
Kibramoa
Kibramoa is a genus of spiders in the family Plectreuridae, first described by Ralph Vary Chamberlin in 1924. The genus comprises seven species and one subspecies, all restricted to arid regions of Mexico and the southwestern United States. These spiders are among the lesser-known members of Plectreuridae, a family characterized by elongated chelicerae and haplogyne genitalia.
Leptonetidae
cave spiders
Leptonetidae is a family of small, primitive haplogyne spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1890. The family comprises approximately 22 genera and 400 species, though taxonomic boundaries have been revised recently with elevation of Archoleptonetinae to family rank (Archoleptonetidae). Leptonetids are characterized by their small size (2-5 mm), reduced eye number, and adaptation to dark, moist microhabitats. They represent a relict fauna with origins dating to the Cretaceous period and exhibit complex biogeographic patterns across the Holarctic.
Loxosceles
Recluse Spiders, Brown Spiders, Fiddle-backs, Violin Spiders, Reapers
Loxosceles is a genus of venomous spiders in the family Sicariidae, comprising approximately 149 species of cryptic, reclusive, nocturnal arachnids. These spiders are characterized by their six eyes arranged in three pairs, a distinctive violin-shaped marking on the cephalothorax in many species, and cytotoxic venom that can cause necrotic lesions in some bite victims. The genus has a primarily neotropical distribution, with significant diversity in Brazil and the southwestern United States, though some species have been introduced to other regions through human activity.
Plectreurys
Plectreurys is a genus of ecribellate, haplogyne spiders in the family Plectreuridae, one of only two extant genera in this family. Species possess eight eyes—unusual among ecribellate haplogynes, which typically have six. They are nocturnal, sedentary hunters that inhabit silken tubes and rarely leave them. Males develop distinctive coupling spurs on the tibia of leg I, used during mating. The genus comprises 23 described species distributed across the southwestern United States, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.
Scytodes
spitting spiders
Scytodes is a globally distributed genus of spitting spiders distinguished by their unique prey-capture mechanism: projecting a sticky, glue-like secretion from their fangs to immobilize prey. The genus contains approximately 239 species, with Scytodes thoracica being the most widely distributed. Members exhibit diverse social structures ranging from solitary to communal-territorial and fully social species.
Scytodes dorothea
spitting spider
Scytodes dorothea is a species of spitting spider in the family Scytodidae, first described by Gertsch in 1935. Like other members of its genus, it possesses the distinctive ability to eject sticky venom from its chelicerae to immobilize prey. The species is part of a family characterized by six eyes arranged in three pairs, a highly convex cephalothorax housing enlarged venom glands, and slow, deliberate hunting movements. Very few specific details about this particular species are documented in available sources.
Scytodes thoracica
Common Spitting Spider, Spitting Spider
Scytodes thoracica is a small spitting spider renowned for its unique hunting method: projecting venomous, sticky silk threads to immobilize prey. The species possesses six eyes arranged in three pairs and distinctive silk glands in the cephalothorax connected to venom glands, enabling production of venomous silk. Native to the Mediterranean region, it has achieved cosmopolitan distribution through human-mediated dispersal and is frequently encountered in synanthropic habitats.
Scytodes zapatana
Zapatana Spitting Spider
Scytodes zapatana is a species of spitting spider in the family Scytodidae, first described by Gertsch and Mulaik in 1940. Like other members of its genus, it possesses the distinctive spitting predatory behavior that characterizes this family, using modified venom glands to eject sticky silk-glue mixtures to immobilize prey. The species is part of a group of spiders that are frequently associated with human habitations in their known range. Specific details about its biology remain limited in published literature.
Scytodidae
Spitting spiders
Scytodidae, commonly known as spitting spiders, are a family of haplogyne spiders characterized by their unique prey capture mechanism: projecting sticky venom from their fangs to immobilize prey. The family contains over 150 described species in several genera, with Scytodes being the most diverse and widespread. These spiders possess enlarged venom glands that produce a glue-like substance which solidifies into elastic threads upon contact, binding prey to surfaces. Some species exhibit social behaviors including communal egg guarding and cooperative prey capture, while others are solitary. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate regions, with several species associated with human habitations.
Sicariidae
Sixeyed Sicariid Spiders, recluse spiders, violin spiders, sand spiders, assassin spiders
Sicariidae is a family of haplogyne spiders comprising three genera—Loxosceles, Sicarius, and Hexophthalma—with approximately 177-180 species. Members are characterized by six eyes arranged in three dyads (pairs), a distinctive trait among spiders. The family includes medically significant species such as the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) and six-eyed sand spiders. All genera produce sphingomyelinase D or related tissue-destroying substances in their venom, unique among spiders. The family exhibits diverse ecological strategies: Loxosceles species are synanthropic and found nearly worldwide in warmer regions, while Sicarius and Hexophthalma are specialized desert dwellers with self-burying behavior.