Family Linyphiidae - Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders

Classification · Identification · Works Cited

Small Spider with the New Canon Macro Lens

Hypselistes florens? - Hypselistes florens - male

Adult female - Allomengea dentisetis - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order Araneae (Spiders)

Infraorder Araneomorphae (True Spiders)

No Taxon (Entelegynes )

Family Linyphiidae (Sheetweb and Dwarf Spiders)

Identification

In separating Theridiidae from Linyphiidae (1)

1. Legs

Theridiidae have first legs usually longest, third legs shortest. Also fourth legs usually with comb macrosetae (indistinct in Dipoena & Euryopis). Legs have no thick setae and no femoral macrosetae.

Linyphiidae have legs long & thin with macrosetae. (Hairs on males somewhat reduced.) They have long sensory hairs on the first three legs, sometimes on all four legs.

2. Abdomen

Theridiidae have abdomen usually round, rarely elongate.

Linyphiidae abdomen usually oval or elongated.

Works Cited

1.	Spiders of North America: An Identification Manual By D. Ubick, P. Paquin, P.E. Cushing and V. Roth (eds)

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 1:20pm
Additional contributions by Lynette
Last updated 5 February, 2012 - 11:06am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2012 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version