| Phycosoma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Phycosoma sp. from Australia | |
 | |
| male P. oecobioides | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Phycosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 [1] |
| Type species | |
| P. oecobioides O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880 | |
| Species | |
32, see text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Phycosoma is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1880. [3]
Spiders in this genus are found worldwide. [1]
The genus Phycosoma comprises small spiders typically less than 4 mm in total length. [4] Males are recognized by their very high carapace, sometimes as high as it is long and cylindrical in shape with dorsal grooves and depressions when viewed from above. In females, the carapace is low and not modified. The eye region often projects above the clypeus, with the anterior median eyes sometimes larger than the other eyes. The clypeus is often concave, with very small chelicerae lacking teeth and bearing long, flat fangs. [4]
The abdomen is sometimes modified and sclerotized with a dorsal scutum or hump. Species bear numerous short setae originating from small tubercles, and most species lack a colulus. Leg IV is slightly longer than the others, with legs being medium to short overall. [4]
These spiders construct small webs near the ground where they feed on ants. They are also called gallows-spiders because they hang their prey until it dies. [4]
Several Phycosoma species have been sampled from pitfall traps throughout South Africa but remain unnamed. [4]
As of October 2025 [update] , this genus includes 32 species: [1]
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.