Argyronetidae

Argyronetidae
Argyroneta aquatica
Argenna subnigra in Denmark
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Argyronetidae Thorell, 1869 [1]
Genera
12 genera, 74 species
blue: reported countries (WSC) green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist)

Argyronetidae is a family of araneomorph spiders. ^[2]

Although originally erected by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869, ^[1] all of its genera were included in family Dictynidae until 2025, when the family was redefined by Montana et al.. ^[3]

Earlier attempts to separate Argyroneta into its own family were not accepted. ^[2] Argyroneta probably represents its own subfamily. ^[2]

Distribution

Members of this family are mainly found in Asia, Europe and North Africa, with six genera found in North America. Mizaga is endemic to Senegal, and Paratheuma is found worldwide.

Genera

As of October 2025 ^[update] , this family includes twelve genera: ^[2]

• Altella Simon, 1885 – Algeria, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Europe
• Arctella Holm, 1945 – Mongolia, Russia, Scandinavia, Alaska, Canada
• Argenna Thorell, 1870 – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Caucasus, Iran?, Russia, North America
• Argyroneta Latreille, 1804 – Asia, Russia
• Chaerea Simon, 1885 – Algeria, Greece, Italy, Spain, France
• Devade Simon, 1885 – Algeria, Asia, Ukraine, Russia, Cyprus
• Hackmania Lehtinen, 1967 – Russia, United States
• Iviella Lehtinen, 1967 – North America
• Mizaga Simon, 1898 – Senegal
• Paratheuma Bryant, 1940 – China, Japan, Korea, Iran, Hawaii, Mexico, United States, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Caroline Islands to Samoa. Introduced to China, Japan
• Saltonia Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 – United States
• Tricholathys Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935 – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, Russia, North America

References

1. Thorell, T. (1869). "On European spiders. Review of the European genera of spiders, preceded by some observations on zoological nomenclature [first part]". Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis. 7: 1–108.
2. "Family: Argyronetidae Thorell, 1869". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-28.
3. Montana, K. O.; Cala-Riquelme, F.; Crews, S. C.; Gorneau, J. A.; Al-Jamal, A. M.; Alequín, L. D.; Spagna, J. C.; Ballarin, F.; Esposito, L. A. (2025). "Tailor's drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204: 1–97. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.

External links

• Citizen science observations for Argyronetidae at iNaturalist