| Rhomphaea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| female R. nasica | |
 | |
| male R. tanikawai | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Theridiidae |
| Genus: | Rhomphaea L. Koch, 1872 [1] |
| Type species | |
| R. cometes L. Koch, 1872 | |
| Species | |
39, see text | |
Rhomphaea is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1872. [2]
Spiders in this genus are found worldwide. [1]
Rhomphaea species are elusive solitary spiders. They capture other spiders that wander onto their webs and also venture onto other spiders' webs to capture the residents. These spiders employ aggressive mimicry to lure victims and throw a sticky triangular net over their prey. [3]
Rhomphaea spiders measure 4 to 5 mm in total length, with general coloration mostly light brown with many lighter spots. [3]
The carapace features a slanting clypeus that projects anteriorly in both sexes, with stridulatory ridges and a longitudinal dark band. The carapace usually has a projection of the eye region in males. The abdomen is elongated, triangular, or cylindrical. In females, the abdomen tapers to a single tip and is usually four to six times as long behind the spinnerets as in front of them. [3]
The legs are thin and long, with the first patella and tibia measuring three to four times the carapace length. [3]
The genus is very close to Ariamnes. [3]
As of October 2025 [update] , this genus includes 39 species: [1]
In synonymy:
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