Minute-spiders
Guides
Mysmenidae
dwarf cobweb weavers
Mysmenidae is a family of minute spiders comprising approximately 135-188 described species across 13-17 genera. Members are among the smallest known spiders, ranging from 0.75 to 3 mm in body length. The family is one of the least studied groups of orb-weaving spiders due to their diminutive size and cryptic habits. Many species exhibit kleptoparasitic behavior, inhabiting the webs of other spiders to steal prey.
Talavera
Talavera is a genus of minute jumping spiders (Salticidae) established by George and Elizabeth Peckham in 1909. These spiders are exceptionally small, averaging approximately 2 mm in body length, and exhibit remarkable morphological similarity among species—particularly within Central European populations, where identification often requires microscopic examination of genital structures. The genus name commemorates Talavera, Spain, a region where numerous specimens have been collected. The group represents one of several genera of diminutive salticids that challenge taxonomic distinction due to conserved external morphology.
Trogloneta
spurred orb-weavers
Trogloneta is a genus of minute spurred orb-weavers in the family Mysmenidae, described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1922. The genus currently comprises twelve described species distributed across Europe, East Asia, and the Americas. These spiders are among the smallest known spiders, with some species measuring less than 2 mm in body length. Several species exhibit cave-adapted characteristics and restricted distributions, with some Chinese species showing extreme population genetic divergence due to geographic isolation in karst cave systems.