Low-dispersal
Guides
Antrodiaetidae
folding-door spiders, folding trapdoor spiders, turret spiders
Antrodiaetidae is a small family of mygalomorph spiders comprising four genera and approximately 37 species. Members are commonly known as folding-door spiders or folding trapdoor spiders due to their distinctive burrow architecture: they construct silk-lined burrows with hinged, collapsible doors that fold or unfold to seal the entrance. The family is primarily distributed in the western and midwestern United States, with two relict species endemic to Japan. Antrodiaetidae are closely related to Atypidae (atypical tarantulas) and share the characteristic low dispersal ability typical of mygalomorph spiders.
Antrodiaetus
folding trapdoor spiders, turret spiders
Antrodiaetus is a genus of mygalomorph spiders in the family Antrodiaetidae, first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. The genus includes species found in the United States and Japan, with the name derived from Greek roots meaning 'cave-dwelling.' These spiders are commonly known as folding trapdoor spiders or turret spiders due to their distinctive burrow architecture. Research on Antrodiaetus has been significant in arachnological studies of species delimitation, particularly using molecular approaches to reveal cryptic diversity in morphologically similar populations.
Euctenizidae
Wafer-lid Trapdoor Spiders
Euctenizidae is a family of mygalomorph spiders elevated from subfamily status in 2012. The family contains approximately 79 described species across eight genera, including Aptostichus, Myrmekiaphila, and Promyrmekiaphila. Members are characterized by their fossorial lifestyle and construction of silk-lined burrows with distinctive trapdoors. The family is now considered more closely related to Idiopidae than to other trapdoor spider families.
Stethophyma
Stethophyma is a genus of grasshoppers in the subfamily Oedipodinae, distributed across Europe, temperate Asia through Japan, and North America. The genus contains six recognized species, with Stethophyma grossum (the large marsh grasshopper) being the type species and most studied member. Species in this genus are associated with moist habitats, particularly wetlands, peatland meadows, and forested meadows. Some species have undergone significant range contractions and are subjects of conservation concern.
Tanaididae
Tanaididae is a family of small benthic malacostracan crustaceans in the order Tanaidacea, containing approximately 19 genera and more than 90 described species. Members are strictly benthic with low dispersal capacity. Some species colonize artificial structures and fouling communities, with demonstrated potential for transport between geographically distant sites. Life history traits vary significantly with environmental conditions, including pollution levels, pH, and oxygen availability.
Tanais dulongii
Tanais dulongii is a small benthic tanaid crustacean with a strictly benthic life cycle and low dispersal capacity. It is widely distributed across temperate coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Oceans. Populations exhibit continuous reproduction with year-round presence of reproductive individuals and juveniles, and show plasticity in life history traits in response to environmental quality.