Six-eyes
Guides
Blabomma californicum
Blabomma californicum is a species of true spider first described by Simon in 1895. It belongs to the family Cybaeidae (previously placed in Dictynidae). The species is notable for having only six eyes rather than the typical eight eyes found in most spiders. It occurs in western North America across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and is listed as imperiled in Canada.
Opilioacarida
Opilioacarida is a small order of mites containing a single family, Opilioacaridae, with approximately 13 genera and 53 valid taxa. These mites are among the largest of their kind (1.5–2.5 mm) and are considered primitive due to retained ancestral traits including six pairs of eyes and abdominal segmentation. Molecular phylogenetics places them within Parasitiformes, though historically they were treated as distinct from both Acariformes and Parasitiformes. The group has a worldwide distribution with notable diversity in the Americas.
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 univittata
spitting spider
Scytodes univittata is a spitting spider in the family Scytodidae, distinguished by its specialized venom projection hunting mechanism. Native to Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the species has been introduced to multiple regions worldwide including the Americas, Mediterranean Europe, and Hawaii. It belongs to a family characterized by six eyes arranged in three pairs, enlarged venom glands, and the unique ability to immobilize prey by spitting a sticky, silk-laced venom mixture. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate form and Scytodes u. unilineata endemic to Myanmar.
Segestria
Segestria is a genus of spiders in the family Segestriidae. These spiders are characterized by their elongated, cylindrical bodies and six eyes arranged in a distinctive semicircular pattern. The genus has a primarily Eurasian distribution, with some species extending to the Americas, North Africa, Madagascar, and New Zealand. Segestria species are known for building tubular retreats in cracks and crevices, from which they hunt prey using silk triplines.
Trogloraptor marchingtoni
cave robber spider
Trogloraptor marchingtoni is a large cave-dwelling spider and the sole species in the family Trogloraptoridae, the first new spider family described from North America since the 1890s. Discovered in 2010 in caves of southwestern Oregon, this species is distinguished by extraordinary hook-like claws on its legs used to capture prey. It represents a remarkable evolutionary lineage with no close known relatives among living spiders. The species name honors Neil Marchington, the deputy sheriff and amateur biologist who first brought the spiders to scientific attention.