Mysmenidae

Spurred orb-weavers; Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	female Microdipoena guttata
	male Mysmena
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Mysmenidae; Petrunkevitch, 1928
Diversity
	17 genera, 188 species
	blue: reported countries (WSC)

Mysmenidae is a spider family with about 180 described species in seventeen genera. The family is one of the least well known of the orb-weaving spiders because of their small size (0.76 to 3 mm (0.03 to 0.12 in)) and cryptic behaviour. These spiders are found in humid habitats such as among leaf litter and in caves.

Distribution

Species occur in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, New Guinea and several islands.

Genera

As of January 2026^[update], this family includes seventeen genera and 188 species:

Brasilionata Wunderlich, 1995 – Brazil
Chanea Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China
Chimena Lin & Li, 2022 – China, Taiwan
Drungena Lin & S. Li, 2023 – China
Gaoligonga Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China, Vietnam
Isela Griswold, 1985 – Kenya, South Africa
Maymena Gertsch, 1960 – St. Vincent, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, United States, Peru
Mengmena Lin & Li, 2022 – China
Microdipoena Banks, 1895 – Africa, Asia, Canada, Hawaii, New Guinea, Samoa. Introduced to Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, Ivory Coast
Mosu Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China
Mysmena Simon, 1894 – Algeria, St. Helena, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Israel, Spain, North America, Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Niue, Samoa, Galapagos, Guyana, Paraguay, Southern Europe to Azerbaijan
Mysmeniola Thaler, 1995 – Venezuela
Mysmenopsis Simon, 1898 – North America, South America
Phricotelus Simon, 1895 – China, Sri Lanka
Simaoa Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – China
Trogloneta Simon, 1922 – China, Japan, Canary Islands, Madeira, North America, Brazil
Yamaneta Miller & Lin, 2019 – China

References

↑ Lin, Yucheng; Li, Shuqiang (12 May 2013). "Two new species of the genera Mysmena and Trogloneta (Mysmenidae, Araneae) from Southwestern China" (PDF). ZooKeys. Pensoft Publishers. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
↑ "Family Mysmenidae Petrunkevitch, 1928". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2026-01-17.

Coyle F.A., Meigs T.E. (1989). "Two new species of kleptoparasitic Mysmenopsis (Araneae, Mysmenidae) from Jamaica" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology. 17 (1): 59–70.
Coyle F.A., O'Shields T.C. Perlmutter D.G. (1991). "Observations on the behaviour of the kleptoparasitic spider, Mysmenopsis furtiva (Araneae, Mysmenidae)" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology. 19 (1): 62–6.
Hajer J, Reháková D (2003). "Spinning activity of the spider Trogloneta granulum (Araneae, Mysmenidae): web, cocoon, cocoon handling behaviour, draglines and attachment discs". Zoology (Jena). 106 (3): 223–31. doi:10.1078/0944-2006-00117. PMID 16351906.

External links

Citizen science observations for Mysmenidae at iNaturalist

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[lin-1] Lin, Yucheng; Li, Shuqiang (12 May 2013). "Two new species of the genera Mysmena and Trogloneta (Mysmenidae, Araneae) from Southwestern China" (PDF). ZooKeys. Pensoft Publishers. Retrieved 16 June 2013.

[wsc-2] "Family Mysmenidae Petrunkevitch, 1928". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2026-01-17.

Spurred orb-weavers Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

female Microdipoena guttata

male Mysmena
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Mysmenidae Petrunkevitch, 1928
Diversity
17 genera, 188 species

blue: reported countries (WSC)