Ant spider

Ant spiders Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Female Mallinella fulvipes
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Opisthothelae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Zodariidae Thorell, 1881 [1]
Diversity [2]
90 genera, 1259 species

Male Palindroma morogorom

Female Mallinella shimojanai

Ant spiders are members of the family Zodariidae. They are small to medium-sized eight-eyed spiders found in all tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, Arabia, and the Indian subcontinent. ^[3] Most species are daytime hunters and live together with ants, mimicking their behavior and sometimes even their chemical traits. ^[3] Although little is known about most zodariids, members of the genus Zodarion apparently feed only on ants; a number of other genera in the family are apparently also ant (or termite) specialists. ^[4]

Genera

As of November 2024 ^[update] , the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera: ^[1]

• Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966
• Akyttara Jocqué, 1987
• Amphiledorus Jocqué & Bosmans, 2001
• Antillorena Jocqué, 1991
• Asceua Thorell, 1887
• Aschema Jocqué, 1991
• Asteron Jocqué, 1991
• Australutica Jocqué, 1995
• Ballomma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015
• Basasteron Baehr, 2003
• Caesetius Simon, 1893
• Cambonilla Jocqué, 2019
• Capheris Simon, 1893
• Cavasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000
• Chariobas Simon, 1893
• Chilumena Jocqué, 1995
• Cicynethus Simon, 1910
• Colimarena Jocqué & Baert, 2021
• Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872
• Cybaeodamus Mello-Leitão, 1938
• Cydrela Thorell, 1873
• Cyrioctea Simon, 1889
• Diores Simon, 1893
• Dusmadiores Jocqué, 1987
• Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005
• Euasteron Baehr, 2003
• Euryeidon Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004
• Forsterella Jocqué, 1991
• Habronestes L. Koch, 1872
• Heliconilla Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012
• Heradida Simon, 1893
• Heradion Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004
• Hermippus Simon, 1893
• Hetaerica Rainbow, 1916
• Holasteron Baehr, 2004
• Indozodion Ovtchinnikov, 2006
• Ishania Chamberlin, 1925
• Lachesana Strand, 1932
• Laminion Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020
• Leprolochus Simon, 1893
• Leptasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Leviola Miller, 1970
• Lutica Marx, 1891
• Malayozodarion Ono & Hashim, 2008
• Mallinella Strand, 1906
• Mallinus Simon, 1893
• Masasteron Baehr, 2004
• Mastidiores Jocqué, 1987
• Microdiores Jocqué, 1987
• Minasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000
• Murphydrela Jocqué & Russell-Smith, 2022
• Neostorena Rainbow, 1914
• Nostera Jocqué, 1991
• Nosterella Baehr & Jocqué, 2017
• Notasteron Baehr, 2005
• Omucukia Koçak & Kemal, 2008
• Palaestina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872
• Palfuria Simon, 1910
• Palindroma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015
• Parazodarion Ovtchinnikov, Ahmad & Gurko, 2009
• Pax Levy, 1990
• Pentasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Phenasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Platnickia Jocqué, 1991
• Procydrela Jocqué, 1999
• Psammoduon Jocqué, 1991
• Psammorygma Jocqué, 1991
• Pseudasteron Jocqué & Baehr, 2001
• Ranops Jocqué, 1991
• Rotundrela Jocqué, 1999
• Selamia Simon, 1873
• Spinasteron Baehr, 2003
• Spinozodium Zamani & Marusik, 2022
• Storena Walckenaer, 1805
• Storenomorpha Simon, 1884
• Storosa Jocqué, 1991
• Subasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Suffascar Henrard & Jocqué, 2017
• Suffasia Jocqué, 1991
• Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015
• Systenoplacis Simon, 1907
• Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897
• Thaumastochilus Simon, 1897
• Tropasteron Baehr, 2003
• Tropizodium Jocqué & Churchill, 2005
• Trygetus Simon, 1882
• Workmania Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012
• Zillimata Jocqué, 1995
• Zodariellum Andreeva & Tyschchenko, 1968
• Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826

See also

• List of Zodariidae species
• Myrmarachne , a genus of ant-mimicking spiders in the family Salticidae

References

1. "Family Zodariidae Thorell, 1881 (genus list)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2024-11-29
2. "Currently valid spider genera and species", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-04-28
3. "Zodariidae ant spiders" . Retrieved 2019-11-02.
4. "zodariid ground spiders". EOL-Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2019-11-02.