Ant spider

Ant spiders; Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Female Mallinella fulvipes
	Caesetius sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Opisthothelae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Zodariidae; Thorell, 1881
Diversity
	90 genera, 1,325 species
	blue: reported countries (WSC); green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist)

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 January 2026^[update], this family includes ninety genera and 1,325 species:

Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966 – Africa, Asia
Akyttara Jocqué, 1987 – Africa, Vietnam
Amphiledorus Jocqué & Bosmans, 2001 – Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain
Antillorena Jocqué, 1991 – Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia
Asceua Thorell, 1887 – Africa, Asia, Australia
Aschema Jocqué, 1991 – Madagascar
Asteron Jocqué, 1991 – Australia
Australutica Jocqué, 1995 – South Africa, Australia
Ballomma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015 – South Africa
Basasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia
Caesetius Simon, 1893 – Southern Africa
Cambonilla Jocqué, 2019 – Cambodia, Laos
Capheris Simon, 1893 – Africa, India
Cavasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000 – Australia
Chariobas Simon, 1893 – Africa
Chilumena Jocqué, 1995 – Australia
Cicynethus Simon, 1910 – Southern Africa
Colimarena Jocqué & Baert, 2021 – Mexico
Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872 – Indonesia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Oceania
Cybaeodamus Mello-Leitão, 1938 – South America
Cydrela Thorell, 1873 – Africa, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen
Cyrioctea Simon, 1889 – Namibia, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile
Diores Simon, 1893 – Africa
Dusmadiores Jocqué, 1987 – Tanzania, Uganda, Western Africa, Yemen
Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 – Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana
Euasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia
Euryeidon Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004 – China, Thailand
Forsterella Jocqué, 1991 – New Zealand
Habronestes L. Koch, 1872 – Australia
Heliconilla Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 – China, Southeast Asia
Heradida Simon, 1893 – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa
Heradion Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004 – China, Southeast Asia
Hermippus Simon, 1893 – Africa, India, Sri Lanka
Hetaerica Rainbow, 1916 – Australia
Holasteron Baehr, 2004 – Australia
Indozodion Ovtchinnikov, 2006 – Afghanistan, Pakistan
Ishania Chamberlin, 1925 – Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
Lachesana Strand, 1932 – Egypt, Asia, Cyprus, Greece
Laminion Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020 – India
Leprolochus Simon, 1893 – Trinidad, Panama, South America
Leptasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia
Leviola Miller, 1970 – Angola
Lutica Marx, 1891 – United States
Malayozodarion Ono & Hashim, 2008 – Malaysia
Mallinella Strand, 1906 – Africa, Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
Mallinus Simon, 1893 – South Africa
Masasteron Baehr, 2004 – Australia
Mastidiores Jocqué, 1987 – Kenya
Microdiores Jocqué, 1987 – Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania
Minasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000 – Australia
Murphydrela Jocqué & Russell-Smith, 2022 – Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eastern Africa
Neostorena Rainbow, 1914 – Australia
Nostera Jocqué, 1991 – Australia
Nosterella Baehr & Jocqué, 2017 – Australia
Notasteron Baehr, 2005 – Australia
Omucukia Koçak & Kemal, 2008 – Madagascar
Palaestina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece
Palfuria Simon, 1910 – Africa
Palindroma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015 – DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania
Parazodarion Ovtchinnikov, Ahmad & Gurko, 2009 – Asia
Pax Levy, 1990 – Western Asia
Pentasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia
Phenasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia
Platnickia Jocqué, 1991 – Argentina, Chile
Procydrela Jocqué, 1999 – South Africa
Psammoduon Jocqué, 1991 – Namibia, South Africa
Psammorygma Jocqué, 1991 – Namibia, South Africa
Pseudasteron Jocqué & Baehr, 2001 – Australia
Ranops Jocqué, 1991 – Tanzania, Southern Africa
Rotundrela Jocqué, 1999 – South Africa
Selamia Simon, 1873 – Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Western Mediterranean
Spinasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia
Spinozodium Zamani & Marusik, 2022 – Tajikistan
Storena Walckenaer, 1805 – Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Vanuatu, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela
Storenomorpha Simon, 1884 – China, Southeast Asia, India
Storosa Jocqué, 1991 – Australia
Subasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia
Suffascar Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Madagascar
Suffasia Jocqué, 1991 – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015 – Kenya, Tanzania
Systenoplacis Simon, 1907 – Africa
Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Central America, South America
Thaumastochilus Simon, 1897 – South Africa
Tropasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia
Tropizodium Jocqué & Churchill, 2005 – China, Thailand, India, Nepal, Hawaii, Australia, French Polynesia, Bali. Introduced to Réunion
Trygetus Simon, 1882 – Djibouti, Egypt, Morocco, Asia
Workmania Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 – Southeast Asia
Zillimata Jocqué, 1995 – Australia
Zodariellum Andreeva & Tystshenko, 1968 – Asia, Russia, Tadjikistan
Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826 – North Africa, Asia, Europe, United States

References

1 2 "Family: Zodariidae Thorell, 1881". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
↑ "Families", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2026-01-23
1 2 "Zodariidae ant spiders". Retrieved 2019-11-02.
↑ "zodariid ground spiders". EOL-Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2019-11-02.

External links

Citizen science observations for Ant spider at iNaturalist

[wsc-1] 1 2 "Family: Zodariidae Thorell, 1881". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2026-01-18.

[WSC_stats-2] "Families", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2026-01-23

[arachne-3] 1 2 "Zodariidae ant spiders". Retrieved 2019-11-02.

[eol-4] "zodariid ground spiders". EOL-Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2019-11-02.

Ant spiders Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Female Mallinella fulvipes

Caesetius sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Opisthothelae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Zodariidae Thorell, 1881
Diversity
90 genera, 1,325 species

blue: reported countries (WSC) green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist)

Ant spider

Genera

See also

References

External links