Family Phrurolithidae - Guardstone Spiders

6 genera found in North America transferred from Corinnidae to the new family Phrurolithidae by Ramírez, 2014.(1)(2) Drassinella returned to Liocranidae by Azevedo et al., 2022.(3)

"Having previously been lumped into the Corinnidae, Liocranidae, or even Clubionidae, the group has never even received a common name. After consultation with the American Arachnological Society’s committee on common names, I’ve adopted the suggestion (by the late Robin Leech) of “guardstone spiders” for these taxa. That name reflects the etymology of the type genus, Phrurolithus, which is a compound adjective that means “guarding the stone” and refers to the habits of the type species, as described by C.L. Koch (1839: 101), and translated by Cameron (2005: 315):

Her abode, as Hahn already observed, is always under stones. Underneath them the female lays her eggs in a spherical lump and spins over them a light, transparent web, on which the mother awaits the hatching of her young.

Whether all species of the family share this egg sac guarding behavior is uncertain;" (Platnick, 2019)(4)

Phrurolithus - 26 species in USA (under 3 mm, Castianeira/Micaria look-alike)(5)

Phruronellus - 5 species in USA

Phrurotimpus - 20 species & 3 subspecies in USA & Canada

Piabuna - 5 species in USA (very small, less than 2 mm, AMEs large)

Scotinella -16 species in USA & Canada

Exact distribution within these countries will be added when time permits.

Phrurolithus - All in the USA

- absurdus

- aemulatus

- alatus

- apacheus

- apertus

- banksi

- callidus

- camawhitae

- catalinius

- concisus

- connectus

- dolius

- duncani

- emertoni

- goodnighti

- kastoni

- kentuckyensis

- leviculus

- oabus

- paludivagus

- parcus

- pinturus

- pipensis

- schwarzi

- similis

- singulus

- umbratilis

Phruronellus

Phrurotimpus

Piabuna

- brevispina - USA

- longispina - USA

- nanna - USA

- pallida - USA

- xerophila - USA

The morphology and phylogeny of dionychan spiders

By Ramírez, Martín J.(1)

World Spider Catalog (2020). World Spider Catalog. Version 20.5. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch, accessed on January 5, 2020.

~ Revision of Drassinella Platnick & Ubick, 1989. - Descriptions, ranges & drawings of palps/epigynes.