Genus Chrosiothes

See the World Spider Catalog.

Chrosiothes Simon, 1894

7 species in our range.(1)

Body length (excluding legs) typically under 3 millimeters. Males much smaller than females.

Venter and anterior overhang of abdomen black or dark gray.(2) Legs sometimes noticeably thick, first or fourth the longest, third always shortest.(3) Carapace low, eye region on a slight tubercle, sometimes overhanging clypeus. Frequently some red pigment in region around eyes; lateral eyes usually touching. Sometimes a tubercle present on retrolateral surface of patellae.(4)

C. chirica - abdomen suboval, rounded behind (no humps).

C. iviei - abdomen suboval with slight anterior-lateral humps.

C. jenningsi - abdomen oval and widest in the middle (no humps).

C. jocosus - abdomen broader than long, very high and overlapping the carapace, with prominent shoulder hump on each side.

C. minusculus - abdomen with two humps near its middle, making the posterior wide.

C. portalensis - abdomen subtriangular with a pair of anterior humps.

C. silvaticus - abdomen oval, widest in middle and longer than wide (no humps). Levi(4) mentions the abdomen of the female has a pattern resembling that of Steatoda triangulosa. The male abdomen described as yellow with a dusky to black longitudinal stripe in center of dorsum.

C. chirica - Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Mexico.(4)(3)

C. iviei - California.(3)

C. jenningsi - West Virginia.(5)

C. jocosus - Texas to Mexico.(4)

C. minusculus - Texas to Mexico.(4)

C. portalensis - Arizona to Mexico.(3)

C. silvaticus - Florida, Mexico to Ecuador.(3)

Except for Chrosiothes jenningsi, members of this genus are limited to the American Southwest, Mexico, and the Neotropics.(5)