Spitting spiders (Scytodidae) is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by John Blackwall in 1864. It contains over 250 species in five genera, of which Scytodes is the best-known.
The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus Agelenopsis. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider may be medically significant, and some evidence suggests it might cause necrotic lesions, but the matter remains subject to debate. The most widely accepted common name for members of the family is funnel weaver.
Drymusa is a genus of false violin spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon in 1892. They physically resemble violin spiders (Loxosceles), but their bites are not believed to be medically significant. Originally placed with the spitting spiders, it was moved to the Loxoscelidae in 1981, then to the Drymusidae in 1986.
Scytodoidea is a taxon of araneomorph spiders, at the rank of superfamily. It contains four families:
The Haplogynae or haplogynes are one of the two main groups into which araneomorph spiders have traditionally been divided, the other being the Entelegynae. Morphological phylogenetic studies suggested that the Haplogynae formed a clade; more recent molecular phylogenetic studies refute this, although many of the ecribellate haplogynes do appear to form a clade, Synspermiata.
Scytodes is a genus of spitting spiders that occur all around the world. The most widely distributed species is Scytodes thoracica, which originally had a palearctic distribution, but has been introduced to North America, Argentina, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The genus was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. Spitting spiders have pale yellow bodies with black spots on their cephalothorax, and legs that are characterized by black bands.
Harpactea is a genus of woodlouse hunting spiders that was first described by W. S. Bristowe in 1939. They are non-web building predators that forage on the ground and on tree trunks at night, mainly in xerothermic forests. During the day, they hide in silk retreats they build under rocks or bark.
Cryptoparachtes is a genus of Asian woodlouse hunter spiders that was first described by P. M. Dunin in 1992. As of May 2019 it contains only three species: C. adzharicus, C. charitonowi, and C. fedotovi.
Alireza Zamani is an Iranian arachnologist and taxonomist.
Dysderella is a genus of Asian woodlouse hunting spiders that was first described by P. M. Dunin in 1992. As of May 2019 it contains only two species: D. caspica and D. transcaspica.
Stedocys is a genus of Asian spitting spiders that was first described by H. Ono in 1995.
Wanda Wesołowska is a Polish zoologist known for her work with jumping spiders. She has described more species of jumping spider than any contemporary writer, and is second only to Eugène Simon in the history of arachnology. Originally a student of ornithology, she developed an interest in jumping spiders while still a student at the Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in the 1970s.
Rick C. West is a Canadian arachnologist and an expert on the taxonomy of tarantula spiders. West was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He has been interested in spiders since childhood, and collected his first tarantula, Aphonopelma eutylenum, at the age of 13. He worked primarily as a Chief Constable for a local Animal Humane Society, but also have been involved with the collecting, breeding, rearing and photography of theraphosid spiders. West has traveled to over 27 countries to document and study them in their environment, has been a host, presenter and co-producer in several tarantula documentaries and has also described several genera and species.
Scytodes kumonga is a species of spider in the Scytodidae family native to Iran. It was described in 2020. The specific name kumonga refers to the spider kaiju Kumonga, a recurring monster in the Godzilla franchise by Toho which can spit silk in a similar manner to spitting spiders to ensnare opponents, whose name in turn is derived from the Japanese word for 'spider', kumo (クモ). Kumonga's binomial name in Godzilla Singular Point, Kumonga scytodes, pays homage to this species.
Persiscape is a genus of funnel weavers first described by Alireza Zamani and Yuri M. Marusik in 2020.
Alboculus is a monotypic genus of east Asian spiders in the family Phrurolithidae containing the single species, Alboculus zhejiangensis. As of 2020 it has only been found in China. A female was originally described under the name "Phrurolithus zhejiangensis", but was described under its new name when a male was identified by K. K. Liu, H. P. Luo and Y. H. Ying in 2020.
Bosselaerius is a genus of Asian spiders in the family Phrurolithidae. It was first described by Alireza Zamani and Yuri M. Marusik in 2020. As of March 2022 it contains only three species: B. daoxianensis, B. hyrcanicus, and B. tajikistanicus.
