Mysmenidae
Guides
Microdipoena
dwarf cobweb weaver spiders
Microdipoena is a genus of minute cobweb-weaving spiders in the family Mysmenidae. First described by Nathan Banks in 1895, it contains 21 species as of 2025. The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, being absent only from Antarctica. Members are among the smallest spiders, typically inhabiting leaf litter and ground-level vegetation.
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.
Trogloneta paradoxa
Trogloneta paradoxa is a minute spider species in the family Mysmenidae, first described by Gertsch in 1960. Members of this family are among the smallest spiders known, with body lengths typically under 2 mm. The genus Trogloneta is characterized by a distinctive body shape featuring a disproportionately large, spherical posterior abdomen relative to the cephalothorax. The specific epithet "paradoxa" likely refers to this unusual morphology. The species is known from the United States.