Mysmenidae Family of spiders
Mysmenidae is a spider family with about 180 described species in seventeen genera. The family is one of the least well known of the orb-weaving spiders because of their small size (0.76 to 3 mm (0.03 to 0.12 in) ) and cryptic behaviour. These spiders are found in humid habitats such as among leaf litter and in caves.[ 1]
Genera
As of January 2026 [ update] [ 2]
Brasilionata Wunderlich , 1995Brazil Chanea Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China Chimena Lin & Li, 2022 – China, Taiwan Drungena Lin & S. Li, 2023 – ChinaGaoligonga Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China, Vietnam Isela Griswold, 1985 – Kenya , South Africa Maymena Gertsch , 1960St. Vincent , Costa Rica , Guatemala , Mexico , United States , Peru Mengmena Lin & Li, 2022 – ChinaMicrodipoena Banks , 1895Canada , Hawaii , New Guinea , Samoa . Introduced to Democratic Republic of the Congo , Comoros , Ivory Coast Mosu Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – ChinaMysmena Simon , 1894Algeria , St. Helena , China, Indonesia , Vietnam, Israel , Spain , North America, Australia , Fiji , New Caledonia , New Guinea, Niue , Samoa, Galapagos , Guyana , Paraguay , Southern Europe to AzerbaijanMysmeniola Thaler, 1995 – Venezuela Mysmenopsis Simon, 1898 – North America, South AmericaPhricotelus Simon, 1895 – China, Sri Lanka Simaoa Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – ChinaTrogloneta Simon, 1922 – China, Japan , Canary Islands , Madeira , North America, BrazilYamaneta Miller & Lin, 2019 – China
References
Coyle F.A., Meigs T.E. (1989). "Two new species of kleptoparasitic Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) from Jamaica" (PDF) . Journal of Arachnology . 17 (1): 59– 70. Coyle F.A., O'Shields T.C. Perlmutter D.G. (1991). "Observations on the behaviour of the kleptoparasitic spider, Mysmenopsis furtiva (Araneae, Mysmenidae)" (PDF) . Journal of Arachnology . 19 (1): 62– 6. Hajer J, Reháková D (2003). "Spinning activity of the spider Trogloneta granulum (Araneae, Mysmenidae): web, cocoon, cocoon handling behaviour, draglines and attachment discs". Zoology (Jena) . 106 (3): 223– 31. doi :10.1078/0944-2006-00117 . PMID 16351906 .
