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.
Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae, are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometimes are referred to as wood spiders, because of their preference for woody places. In southern Africa the genus Palystes are known as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders. Commonly they are confused with baboon spiders from the Mygalomorphae infraorder, which are not closely related.
Linyphiidae is a family of very small spiders comprising 4667 described species in 618 genera worldwide. This makes Linyphiidae the second largest family of spiders after the Salticidae. The family is poorly known; new genera and species are still being discovered throughout the world. The newest such genus is Yuelushannus from China, formally described in May 2020. Because of the difficulty in identifying such tiny spiders, there are regular changes in taxonomy as species are combined or divided.
Amaurobiidae is a family of three-clawed cribellate or ecribellate spiders found in crevices and hollows or under stones where they build retreats, and are often collected in pitfall traps. Unlidded burrows are sometimes quite obvious in crusty, loamy soil. They are difficult to distinguish from related spiders in other families, especially Agelenidae, Desidae and Amphinectidae. Their intra- and interfamilial relationships are contentious. According to the World Spider Catalog, 2019, the family Amaurobiidae includes about 275 species in 49 genera.
Embrik Strand was an entomologist and arachnologist who classified many insect and spider species including the greenbottle blue tarantula.
Saitis is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1876. The Australian species may belong to other genera, such as Maratus.
Thianella is a possible monotypic genus of jumping spiders containing the single species, Thianella disjuncta. It was first described by Embrik Strand in 1907, and is found only on Java. Based on a male specimen, Roewer placed it close to Thiania, but his placements of salticids have often been questionable and no drawings currently exist. The name is an alteration of the salticid genus Thiania, and the species name is from Latin disiunctus "separated". The World Spider Catalog regards the genus and species names as nomina dubia.
Microstigmatidae is a small family of spiders with about 25 described species in eight genera. They are small ground-dwelling and free-living spiders that make little use of silk.
Badumna is a genus of intertidal spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1890. They are harmless spiders that can be found around human structures and buildings. They are darkly colored, usually with a lighter colored pattern on the abdomen. The most well-known species is B. insignis, also known as the "black house spider" or "black window spider".
Neriene is a genus of sheet weavers that was first described by John Blackwall in 1833.
Enoplognatha is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by P. Pavesi in 1880. They have both a large colulus and a subspherical abdomen. Males usually have enlarged chelicerae. It is considered a senior synonym of Symopagia.
Ceratinella is a genus of dwarf spiders that was first described by James Henry Emerton in 1882. They are very similar to both Ceraticelus and Idionella, and the taxonomy of these spiders may change.
Ero is a genus of pirate spiders first described in 1836. They resemble comb-footed spiders due to their globular abdomen, which is higher than it is long.
Semljicola is a genus of sheet weavers that was first described by Embrik Strand in 1906.
Udubidae is a family of araneomorph spiders, most of whose members were formerly placed in the family Zorocratidae, which is no longer accepted.
Obrimona is a monotypic genus of Asian dwarf spiders containing the single species, Obrimona tennenti. It was first described by Embrik Strand in 1934, and has only been found in Sri Lanka.
Bolephthyphantes is a genus of dwarf spiders that was first described by Embrik Strand in 1901. As of May 2019 it contains only three species: B. caucasicus, B. index, and B. indexoides.
Erigonella is a genus of dwarf spiders that was first described by David B. Hirst in 1901.
Papakula is a monotypic genus of nursery web spiders containing the single species, Papakula niveopunctata. It was first described by Embrik Strand in 1911, and is only found on the Aru Islands.
Tapinothelella is a monotypic genus of South African nursery web spiders containing the single species, Tapinothelella laboriosa. It was first described by Embrik Strand in 1909, and is only found in South Africa.
