Ground spiders comprise Gnaphosidae, the seventh largest spider family with over 2,000 described species in over 100 genera distributed worldwide. There are 105 species known to central Europe, and common genera include Gnaphosa, Drassodes, Micaria, Cesonia, Zelotes and many others. They are closely related to Clubionidae. At present, no ground spiders are known to be seriously venomous to humans.
Oonopidae, also known as goblin spiders, is a family of spiders consisting of over 1,600 described species in about 113 genera worldwide, with total species diversity estimated at 2000 to 2500 species. The type genus of the family is OonopsKeyserling, 1835.
Lampshade spiders, family Hypochilidae, are among the most primitive of araneomorph spiders. There are two genera and twelve species currently recognized. Like mygalomorphs, most hypochilids have two pairs of book lungs, but like araneomorphs they have intersecting fangs, with the exception of some species which have chelicerae in an angle that is neither orthognathous or labidognathous. These long-legged spiders build typical "lampshade" style webs under overhangs and in caves. In the United States the fauna is primarily associated with the Appalachian, Rocky and California Mountains. Ten of the known species are found in these ranges, all in the genus Hypochilus. The genus Ectatosticta is found in China.
Theridiosoma is a genus of ray spiders that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1879. They use their web as a high speed slingshot to actively hunt for prey.
Symphytognathidae is a family of spiders with 90 described species in eight genera. They occur in the tropics of Central and South America and the Australian region. Exceptions include Anapistula benoiti, Anapistula caecula, and Symphytognatha imbulunga, found in Africa, Anapistula ishikawai, found in Japan, and Anapistula jerai, found in Southeast Asia.
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 and cryptic behaviour. These spiders are found in humid habitats such as among leaf litter and in caves.
Tetrablemma is a widespread genus of armored spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1873. It only has four eyes; an unusual trait for spiders, found only here and in some species of Caponiidae, though the two are not closely related. The eyes are large, but unequal in size, closely grouped around the center of the prosoma that rises in a somewhat of a cone shape from the abdomen. They have four closely positioned spinnerets enclosed in a corneous casing.
Anapistula is a genus of dwarf orb-weavers that was first described by Carl Eduard Adolph Gerstaecker in 1941.
Mysmena is a genus of spiders in the family Mysmenidae, found in many parts of the world.
Speocera is a genus of six eyed spiders in the family Ochyroceratidae.
Crassignatha is a genus of Asian dwarf orb-weavers that was first described by J. Wunderlich in 1995.
Mosu is a genus of East Asian spurred orb-weavers first described by J. A. Miller, C. E. Griswold & C. M. Yin in 2009.
Patu marplesi is a species of small spiders, endemic to Samoa. It is considered the smallest spider in the world, as male legspan is 0.46 mm.
