Misplaced Pages

Ant spiders Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Female Mallinella fulvipes
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Opisthothelae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Zodariidae Thorell, 1881
Diversity
90 genera, 1259 species

Ant spiders are members of the family Zodariidae. They are small to medium-sized eight-eyed spiders found in all tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. Most species are daytime hunters and live together with ants, mimicking their behavior and sometimes even their chemical traits. Although little is known about most zodariids, members of the genus Zodarion apparently feed only on ants; a number of other genera in the family are apparently also ant (or termite) specialists.

Genera

As of November 2024, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:

• Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966
• Akyttara Jocqué, 1987
• Amphiledorus Jocqué & Bosmans, 2001
• Antillorena Jocqué, 1991
• Asceua Thorell, 1887
• Aschema Jocqué, 1991
• Asteron Jocqué, 1991
• Australutica Jocqué, 1995
• Ballomma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015
• Basasteron Baehr, 2003
• Caesetius Simon, 1893
• Cambonilla Jocqué, 2019
• Capheris Simon, 1893
• Cavasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000
• Chariobas Simon, 1893
• Chilumena Jocqué, 1995
• Cicynethus Simon, 1910
• Colimarena Jocqué & Baert, 2021
• Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872
• Cybaeodamus Mello-Leitão, 1938
• Cydrela Thorell, 1873
• Cyrioctea Simon, 1889
• Diores Simon, 1893
• Dusmadiores Jocqué, 1987
• Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005
• Euasteron Baehr, 2003
• Euryeidon Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004
• Forsterella Jocqué, 1991
• Habronestes L. Koch, 1872
• Heliconilla Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012
• Heradida Simon, 1893
• Heradion Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004
• Hermippus Simon, 1893
• Hetaerica Rainbow, 1916
• Holasteron Baehr, 2004
• Indozodion Ovtchinnikov, 2006
• Ishania Chamberlin, 1925
• Lachesana Strand, 1932
• Laminion Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020
• Leprolochus Simon, 1893
• Leptasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Leviola Miller, 1970
• Lutica Marx, 1891
• Malayozodarion Ono & Hashim, 2008
• Mallinella Strand, 1906
• Mallinus Simon, 1893
• Masasteron Baehr, 2004
• Mastidiores Jocqué, 1987
• Microdiores Jocqué, 1987
• Minasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000
• Murphydrela Jocqué & Russell-Smith, 2022
• Neostorena Rainbow, 1914
• Nostera Jocqué, 1991
• Nosterella Baehr & Jocqué, 2017
• Notasteron Baehr, 2005
• Omucukia Koçak & Kemal, 2008
• Palaestina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872
• Palfuria Simon, 1910
• Palindroma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015
• Parazodarion Ovtchinnikov, Ahmad & Gurko, 2009
• Pax Levy, 1990
• Pentasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Phenasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Platnickia Jocqué, 1991
• Procydrela Jocqué, 1999
• Psammoduon Jocqué, 1991
• Psammorygma Jocqué, 1991
• Pseudasteron Jocqué & Baehr, 2001
• Ranops Jocqué, 1991
• Rotundrela Jocqué, 1999
• Selamia Simon, 1873
• Spinasteron Baehr, 2003
• Spinozodium Zamani & Marusik, 2022
• Storena Walckenaer, 1805
• Storenomorpha Simon, 1884
• Storosa Jocqué, 1991
• Subasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001
• Suffascar Henrard & Jocqué, 2017
• Suffasia Jocqué, 1991
• Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015
• Systenoplacis Simon, 1907
• Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897
• Thaumastochilus Simon, 1897
• Tropasteron Baehr, 2003
• Tropizodium Jocqué & Churchill, 2005
• Trygetus Simon, 1882
• Workmania Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012
• Zillimata Jocqué, 1995
• Zodariellum Andreeva & Tyschchenko, 1968
• Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826

See also

• List of Zodariidae species
• Myrmarachne, a genus of ant-mimicking spiders in the family Salticidae

References

1. ^ "Family Zodariidae Thorell, 1881 (genus list)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2024-11-29
2. "Currently valid spider genera and species", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-04-28
3. ^ "Zodariidae ant spiders". Retrieved 2019-11-02.
4. "zodariid ground spiders". EOL-Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2019-11-02.

• Zodariidae