The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 175 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of this family are also known as flower spiders or flower crab spiders.
Nursery web spiders (Pisauridae) is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1890. They resemble wolf spiders (Lycosidae) except for several key differences. Wolf spiders have two very prominent eyes in addition to the other six, while a nursery web spider's eyes are all about the same size. Additionally, female nursery web spiders carry their egg sacs with their jaws and pedipalps instead of attaching them to their spinnerets as wolf spiders do. When the eggs are about to hatch, a female spider builds a nursery "tent", places her egg sac inside, and stands guard outside, hence the family's common name. Like the wolf spiders, however, the nursery web spiders are roaming hunters that don't use webs for catching prey. They have a wide variety of prey, and larger species may prey upon vertebrates, particularly amphibians and fish.
Barychelidae, also known as brushed trapdoor spiders, is a spider family with about 300 species in 42 genera. Most spiders in this family build trapdoor burrows. For example, the 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long Sipalolasma builds its burrow in rotted wood, with a hinged trapdoor at each end. The 10 millimetres (0.39 in) long Idioctis builds its burrow approximately 5 centimetres (2.0 in) deep, just below the high tide level, sealing the opening with a thin trapdoor.
Amyciaea is a genus of ant mimicking crab spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1885.
Thwaitesia is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1881.
Stegodyphus is a genus of velvet spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon in 1873. They are distributed from Africa to Europe and Asia, with two species found in Brazil. The name is derived from Ancient Greek στέγω (stegos), meaning "covered".
Sason is a genus of bark-dwelling brushed trapdoor spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1887. It is distributed from the Seychelles through India to northern Australia. The closest related genus seems to be the monotypic Paracenobiopelma.
Paracenobiopelma is a monotypic genus of South American brushed trapdoor spiders containing the single species, Paracenobiopelma gerecormophilum. It was first described in 1952, and has only been found in Brazil. Their closest relatives are found in the genus Sason, which occur in south Asia.
Sason sundaicum is a species of barychelid trapdoor spiders that is found on trees near the sea, usually closer than 100 metres, although distances of up to five kilometres have been observed. They build short nests with two opposing trapdoors, often attached to the bark of living trees, for example Coconut Palms. However, sometimes a nest is built on sides of large boulders. Nests of males are up to two cm long, those of females up to almost three cm. The migid spider Poecilomigas abrahami from South Africa builds very similar nests.
Sason colemani is a species of barychelid trapdoor spiders that has only been found in a natural swamp in the Botanical Gardens in Cairns, Queensland. Its retreat is a short tube with a door at each end which it builds on the bark of trees. When one door opens, the other is pressed closed. Paracenobiopelma gerecormophilum and spiders of the genus Cyphonisia build similar but slightly longer retreats.
Dolichognatha is a genus of tropical and subtropical long-jawed orb-weavers that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1869. Originally placed with the Archaeidae, it was transferred to the Araneidae in 1967, and to the Tetragnathidae in 1981.
Coneweb spiders (Diguetidae) are six-eyed haplogyne spiders that live in tangled space webs, fashioning a cone-like central retreat where they hide and lay eggs. It is a small family, containing only two genera with fifteen species and is confined to the New World, preferring deserts. Members of the genus Diguetia usually build their webs in shrubs or between cactus pads. They have the same eye arrangement as the venomous recluse spiders, but none are known to be harmful to humans.
Scoloderus is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1887. They primarily feed on nocturnal moths using a ladder-type nest, featuring vertical extensions of sticky orbs above and below the circumference of the primary orb. When a moth strikes the web, it slides down the ladder, leaving behind scales on the sticky silk until it is completely ensnared.
Glenognatha is a genus of long-jawed orb-weavers that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887. It was considerably revised in 2016.
Sason hirsutum is a species of spiders in the family Barychelidae, found in Indonesia.
Diplothele is a genus of mygalomorph spider in the family Barychelidae, containing four species restricted to India and Sri Lanka.
Steriphopus is a genus of palp-footed spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887.
Hamataliwa is a genus of lynx spiders that was first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1887.
Nilus is a genus of nursery web spiders that was first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1876.
