Prodidomidae

Prodidomidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Prodidomidae Simon, 1884
Genera
See text.
Diversity
31 genera, 303 species
250px

The Prodidomidae are a spider family with about 300 species in 31 genera. They are sometimes called long-spinneret ground spiders.

They are easily identified by the greatly elongated base of the piriform gland spigots. At least parts of their body are covered with shiny scales or setae. The posterior median eyes are flat and silvery, with a triangular, egg-shaped or irregularly rectangular shape.

Biology

Prodidomidae are ground dwellers. Most species are nocturnal and hide during the day in litter, but Myandra, which are probably mimicking ants, seems to be active during the day. The genus Zimiris is synanthropic and thus found throughout the tropics.

Distribution

Although Theuma walteri was described from Turkmenistan by Eugène Simon, it is suspected that Simon accidentally exchanged its locality with that of Anagraphis pallens (Gnaphosidae); then T. walteri would have been collected in the Cape of Good Hope, while A. pallens is from Turkmenistan.

Systematics

The Prodidomidae are considered "higher gnaphosoids", together with the Lamponidae and Gnaphosidae. These share anterior lateral spinnerets consisting of only a single article, while the lower gnaphosoids retain a separate, complete distal article that is represented by an entire, subdistal ring of sclerotized cuticle.

Genera

• Anagrina Berland, 1920 — Africa
• Austrodomus Lawrence, 1947 — South Africa
• Caudalia Alayón, 1980 — Cuba
• Chileomma Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 — Chile
• Chileuma Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 — Chile
• Chilongius Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 — Chile
• Cryptoerithus Rainbow, 1915 — Australia
• Eleleis Simon, 1893 — South Africa
• Encoptarthria Main, 1954 — Australia
• Katumbea Cooke, 1964 — Tanzania
• Lygromma Simon, 1893 — Costa Rica to Brazil, Galapagos
• Lygrommatoides Strand, 1918 — Japan
• Molycria Simon, 1887 — Australia
• Moreno Mello-Leitão, 1940 — Chile, Argentina
• Myandra Simon, 1887 — Australia
• Namundra Platnick & Bird, 2007 — Africa
• Neozimiris Simon, 1903 — USA, Mexico, Panama, Galapagos, Bahamas
• Nomindra Platnick & Baehr, 2006 — Australia
• Oltacloea Mello-Leitão, 1940 — Brazil, Argentina
• Plutonodomus Cooke, 1964 — Tanzania
• Prodida Dalmas, 1919 — Philippines, Seychelles
• Prodidomus Hentz, 1847 — Mediterranean, Africa, Australia, Asia, Venezuela, Hawaii
• Purcelliana Cooke, 1964 — South Africa
• Theuma Simon, 1893 — Africa, Turkmenistan?
• Theumella Strand, 1906 — Ethiopia
• Tivodrassus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936 — Mexico
• Tricongius Simon, 1892 — South America
• Wesmaldra Platnick & Baehr, 2006 — Australia
• Wydundra Platnick & Baehr, 2006 — Australia, Malaysia, Moluccas
• Zimirina Dalmas, 1919 — Spain, Algeria, Canary Islands, South Africa
• Zimiris Simon, 1882 — Circumtropical

See also

• List of Prodidomidae species
• Spider families

References

• Platnick, N.I. & Penney, D. (2004): A Revision of the Widespread Spider Genus Zimiris (Araneae, Prodidomidae). American Museum Novitates 3450.
• Platnick, Norman I. & Baehr, Barbara C. (2006): A revision of the Australasian ground spiders of the family Prodidomidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 298: 1-287. (with keys to subfamilies and genera, and picture)
• Platnick, Norman I. (2008): The world spider catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.

External links

• Picture of Molycria flavipes