Social-spiders
Guides
Anelosimus
cobweb spiders
Anelosimus is a genus of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) renowned as a model system for studying the evolution of sociality in arachnids. The genus contains approximately 75 species exhibiting the full spectrum of social organization, from solitary to highly social (quasisocial). Eight quasisocial species have been documented, more than any other spider genus. Social species such as Anelosimus eximius form massive communal webs housing tens of thousands of individuals, while solitary species occur at higher altitudes and latitudes. The genus is cosmopolitan, with significant diversity in the Americas, Madagascar, and Australasia.
Dictynidae
Meshweavers
Dictynidae is a family of cribellate spiders characterized by their ability to produce hackled band silk. Members build irregular, tangled webs on or near the ground, typically among branches or stems of vegetation. The family comprises approximately 45 genera and 339 species as of October 2025. Recent phylogenomic studies have placed Dictynidae within the marronoid clade, a group of spiders previously difficult to classify due to their morphological similarity. The family exhibits notable ecological diversity, including intertidal species, social species, and species associated with artificial structures.
Oxyopidae
Lynx Spiders
Oxyopidae, commonly known as lynx spiders, is a family of hunting spiders characterized by their spiny legs and active predatory behavior. Most species are diurnal hunters that rely on vision and agility rather than web-building to capture prey. The family includes notable genera such as Oxyopes, Peucetia, and Hamataliwa, with Peucetia viridans (green lynx spider) being among the largest North American species. While most lynx spiders are solitary, at least one species, Tapinillus sp., has been documented exhibiting social behavior including cooperative prey capture and communal web maintenance—the first such report for the family.
Philoponella
Philoponella is a genus of uloborid spiders characterized by the absence of venom glands, a trait shared by all members of family Uloboridae. These spiders are obligate web-dwellers that capture prey using silk rather than venom. The genus exhibits notable behavioral diversity, including both solitary and social species, with some demonstrating cooperative prey capture. Philoponella species are primarily pantropical in distribution.
Scytodidae
Spitting spiders
Scytodidae, commonly known as spitting spiders, are a family of haplogyne spiders characterized by their unique prey capture mechanism: projecting sticky venom from their fangs to immobilize prey. The family contains over 150 described species in several genera, with Scytodes being the most diverse and widespread. These spiders possess enlarged venom glands that produce a glue-like substance which solidifies into elastic threads upon contact, binding prey to surfaces. Some species exhibit social behaviors including communal egg guarding and cooperative prey capture, while others are solitary. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate regions, with several species associated with human habitations.
Sparassidae
Huntsman spiders, Giant crab spiders, Wood spiders
Sparassidae, commonly known as huntsman spiders or giant crab spiders, comprises a family of large, fast-moving araneomorph spiders distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Members are characterized by laterigrade legs—oriented horizontally to the body—that enable them to navigate narrow crevices and vertical surfaces with ease. The family includes both solitary and social species, with some genera exhibiting prolonged subsociality where females share retreats with multiple generations of offspring for extended periods. Several species are known to occasionally appear in temperate regions through human commerce, particularly in banana shipments.
Tetragnathidae
Long-jawed Orb Weavers, Long-jawed Orbweavers
Long-jawed orb weavers are a family of spiders characterized by elongated bodies, long legs, and often extraordinarily long chelicerae (jaws). Most species construct orb webs in a horizontal or near-horizontal plane, distinguishing them from the vertical webs typical of Araneidae. The family includes diverse ecological specialists: meadow-dwelling species that camouflage as grass stems, riparian species that build webs over water, and cave-dwelling species adapted to dimly lit environments. Some species exhibit social behavior, forming communal webs spanning extensive areas.
Theridiidae
tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders, comb-footed spiders
Theridiidae is a large, globally distributed family of araneomorph spiders comprising over 2,600 species in more than 130 genera. Members are characterized by a comb of serrated bristles (setae) on the tarsus of the fourth leg, used to manipulate silk. The family exhibits remarkable diversity in web architecture, ranging from irregular tangle webs to specialized gumfoot webs and sheet-like structures. Theridiids are ecribellate, producing sticky capture silk rather than woolly silk, and are entelegyne with females possessing a genital plate. The family includes medically significant species such as widow spiders (Latrodectus), model organisms for social behavior research (Anelosimus), and specialized kleptoparasites (Argyrodinae).
Theridion
tangle-web spiders
Theridion is a large genus of tangle-web spiders (family Theridiidae) with nearly 600 described species distributed worldwide. The genus has historically served as a wastebasket taxon for theridiid species lacking a colulus that did not fit into other genera. Notable species include T. grallator, the Hawaiian happy face spider, recognized for its distinctive abdominal color patterns, and T. nigroannulatum, one of few spider species known to live in social groups and hunt cooperatively. Molecular studies have revealed that Theridion as traditionally defined is para- or polyphyletic, with Hawaiian representatives representing at least two independent colonization events from different continental sources.