Scaffold-web
Guides
Nesticidae
cave cobweb spiders, scaffold web spiders
Nesticidae is a family of spiders closely allied with Theridiidae (tangle web spiders), distinguished by a comb of serrated bristles on the hind tarsi used to pull silk bands from the spinnerets. The family contains approximately 15 genera and 280 species, with many species associated with caves, overhangs, and subterranean habitats. Members show varying degrees of troglomorphic adaptation, from fully cave-adapted troglobionts to surface-dwelling forms. The genus Nesticus, the type genus, has a global distribution and has undergone extensive radiation in montane regions.