Web-invasion
Guides
Mimetidae
Pirate spiders
Pirate spiders (Mimetidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders renowned for their specialized araneophagic behavior—they hunt and feed on other spiders rather than building webs to capture prey. Members of this family employ aggressive mimicry, infiltrating the webs of cobweb weavers, orb weavers, and other spiders, then subduing their hosts with spider-specific venom. The family contains approximately 200 species across 12 genera worldwide, with highest diversity in the Neotropics. North America hosts 18 described species in three genera, with another ten species awaiting formal description. These small spiders (typically 3–7 mm body length) are characterized by long leg spines and distinctive eye arrangements.
Mimetus
Pirate spiders, Cannibal spiders
Mimetus is a genus of pirate spiders in the family Mimetidae, comprising approximately 71 species distributed worldwide. These small arachnids (3–7 mm body length) are obligate spider predators, employing specialized hunting tactics to infiltrate webs of other spiders and kill them through leg bites. They exhibit distinctive morphology including globular abdomens with curved bristle-like hairs and elongated anterior legs. The genus is recognized for its ecological role as an intraguild predator and its convergent resemblance to comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae).
Stenolemus
Spider Assassin Bugs
Stenolemus is a genus of thread-legged assassin bugs (Emesinae) characterized by specialized araneophagy—predation on spiders. Species in this genus exhibit diverse hunting strategies, including web invasion and exploitation of spider draglines as prey location cues. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning Australia, Asia, and the Pacific region. Multiple species have been described, with S. bituberus and S. giraffa being the most extensively studied for their predatory behavior and life history.
Stenolemus longicornis
Stenolemus longicornis is a thread-legged assassin bug in the subfamily Emesinae. It is notable as a specialized predator of web-building spiders, exploiting the host's own webs to capture prey. The species exhibits the elongated, slender body form characteristic of the subfamily. Its life history and ecology are closely tied to spider web microhabitats.