Symphytognathid
Guides
Anapistula
Anapistula is a genus of minute araneomorph spiders in the family Symphytognathidae, established by Gertsch in 1941. The genus comprises 28 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, South America, and Europe. Members exhibit diverse habitat preferences: approximately 18 species occur in leaf litter, soil, and mosses, while seven are obligate cave-dwellers (troglobites) and one inhabits cave entrances. The genus includes some of the smallest spiders known, with A. ataecina from Portugal representing both the first European record of the family and one of the smallest described spider species.