Dictynidae

Dictynidae; Temporal range: Cretaceous–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Lathys insulana, male
	Dictyna civica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Clade:	Marronoid clade
Family:	Dictynidae; O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871
Diversity
	45 genera, 339 species
	blue: reported countries (WSC); green: observation hotspots (iNaturalist)

Dictynidae is a family of cribellate, hackled band-producing spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1871. Most build irregular webs on or near the ground, creating a tangle of silken fibers among several branches or stems of one plant.

Several genera were transferred to the family Argyronetidae and others to the family Lathyidae in 2025.

Genera

As of October 2025^[update], this family includes 45 genera and 339 species:

Adenodictyna Ono, 2008 – Japan
Ajmonia Caporiacco, 1934 – Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Portugal, Spain, North Africa
Anaxibia Thorell, 1898 – Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka
Arangina Lehtinen, 1967 – New Zealand
Archaeodictyna Caporiacco, 1928 – Africa, China, Myanmar, Europe to Central Asia,
Arethyna Cala-Riquelme, 2025 – China, Russia, North America
Argennina Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936 – United States
Atelolathys Simon, 1892 – Sri Lanka
Banaidja Lehtinen, 1967 – Samoa
Brigittea Lehtinen, 1967 – Asia, Russia, New Caledonia, Mediterranean, North Africa. Introduced to South Africa
Califorenigma Cala-Riquelme, Gorneau & Esposito, 2025 – United States
Callevophthalmus Simon, 1906 – Australia
Dictyna Sundevall, 1833 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America
Dictynomorpha Spassky, 1939 – Central Asia
Emblyna Chamberlin, 1948 – Europe, North America, Ecuador, Galapagos, Cuba, Greater Antilles
Eriena Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025 – North America
Helenactyna Benoit, 1977 – St. Helena
Khalotyna Cala-Riquelme, Alequín & Esposito, 2025 – North America. Introduced to Hawaii
Kharitonovia Esyunin, Zamani & Tuneva, 2017 – Uzbekistan, Iran
Mallos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – North to South America
Maretyna Lin & Liu, 2025 – China
Marilynia Lehtinen, 1967 – Europe to Central Asia, North Africa
Mashimo Lehtinen, 1967 – South Africa, Zambia
Mexitlia Lehtinen, 1967 – Mexico, United States
Myanmardictyna Wunderlich, 2017 – Myanmar
Nigma Lehtinen, 1967 – Africa, Asia, Southern Europe
Nopalityna Cala-Riquelme & Esposito, 2025 – North America
Pangunus Cala-Riquelme, 2025 – China, Mongolia, India
Paradictyna Forster, 1970 – New Zealand
Penangodyna Wunderlich, 1995 – Malaysia
Phantyna Chamberlin, 1948 – North America, Galapagos, Venezuela
Purplecorna Cala-Riquelme & Esposito, 2025 – North America
Qiyunia Song & Xu, 1989 – China, Japan
Rhion O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 – Sri Lanka
Shango Lehtinen, 1967 – South Africa
Shikibutyna Cala-Riquelme, Gorneau & Esposito, 2025 – Kazakhstan, Eastern Asia, Canary Islands, Central Europe, Russia
Simziella Cala-Riquelme & Alequín, 2025 – Tajikistan, China, Canary Islands, Russia, Finland, North America
Spagnius Cala-Riquelme & Crews, 2025 – Cuba, North America
Sudesna Lehtinen, 1967 – China, Korea, Philippines, India, Australia
Tahuantina Lehtinen, 1967 – Chile
Tandil Mello-Leitão, 1940 – Argentina
Thallumetus Simon, 1893 – Ascension Is, Bonaire, Virgin Islands, Panama, Mexico, United States, South America
Tivyna Chamberlin, 1948 – Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, United States, Galapagos
Tolkienus Cala-Riquelme, Crews & Esposito, 2025 – Equatorial Guinea, Caucasus, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, North America
Viridictyna Forster, 1970 – New Zealand

References

↑ Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1871). "Arachnida". The Zoological Record. 7: 207–224.
↑ Roth, V.D.; Brown, W.L. (1975). "Comments on the spider Saltonia incerta Banks (Agelenidae?)" (PDF). J. Arachnol. 3: 53–56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
↑ Montana, K. O.; Cala-Riquelme, F.; Crews, S. C.; Gorneau, J. A.; Al-Jamal, A. M.; Alequín, L. D.; Spagna, J. C.; Ballarin, F.; Esposito, L. A. (2025). "Tailor's drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204: 1–97. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.
↑ "Family: Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-09.

External links

Citizen science observations for Dictynidae at iNaturalist

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[opc-1] Pickard-Cambridge, O. (1871). "Arachnida". The Zoological Record. 7: 207–224.

[roth1975-2] Roth, V.D.; Brown, W.L. (1975). "Comments on the spider Saltonia incerta Banks (Agelenidae?)" (PDF). J. Arachnol. 3: 53–56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2006-08-06.

[montana2025-3] Montana, K. O.; Cala-Riquelme, F.; Crews, S. C.; Gorneau, J. A.; Al-Jamal, A. M.; Alequín, L. D.; Spagna, J. C.; Ballarin, F.; Esposito, L. A. (2025). "Tailor's drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204: 1–97. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.

[wsc-4] "Family: Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-09.

Dictynidae Temporal range: Cretaceous–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Lathys insulana, male

Dictyna civica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Clade:	Marronoid clade
Family:	Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871
Diversity
45 genera, 339 species

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