Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Phylum Arthropoda Order Spider | Subphylum Chelicerata Infraorder Araneomorphae Rank Family | |
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Similar Plectreuridae, Drymusa, Cycloctenidae, Senoculidae, Austrochilidae | ||
The coneweb spiders of the family Diguetidae are six-eyed haplogyne (lacking hardened female genitalia, or epigyne) spiders that live in tangled space webs. They fashion a cone-like central retreat in which they hide and lay eggs. The family is small (two genera and only 15 species) and is confined to the New World, where it is usually found in deserts. Members of the genus Diguetia usually build their webs in shrubs or between cactus pads. Although they have the same eye arrangement as the venomous recluse spiders (family Sicariidae), none of these genera are known to be harmful to humans.
Contents
The Diguetidae are sometimes considered a subfamily of the Plectreuridae.
Taxonomy
The group was first created by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1899 as the subfamily Diguetiinae of the family Scytodidae. It was raised to the rank of family by Willis J. Gertsch using the spelling "Diguetidae". Pickard-Cambridge's use of double "i" is correct according to Article 29.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, since the name is based on the genus Diguetia. In 2004, Jörg Wonderlich suggested reducing it again to a subfamily, but now of the family Plectreuridae.
Genera and species
As of May 2016, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera and species:
Diguetia
Diguetia Simon, 1895
Segestrioides
Segestrioides Keyserling, 1883