Ray spider explained

Theridiosomatidae, commonly known as Ray Spiders, are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1881.^[1] The family includes 137 species divided between 20 genera. They are most recognizable for their construction of cone-shaped webs.^[2]

Genera

, the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:^[3]

• Andasta Simon, 1895 – Seychelles, Malaysia, Sri Lanka
• Baalzebub Coddington, 1986 – Central America, Brazil, Australia, China
• Chthonopes Wunderlich, 2011 – Laos
• Chthonos Coddington, 1986 – Ecuador, Brazil, Peru
• Coddingtonia Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 – Malaysia, Laos
• Cuacuba Prete, Cizauskas & Brescovit, 2018
• Epeirotypus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 – Mexico, Costa Rica
• Epilineutes Coddington, 1986 – Mexico, Brazil
• Karstia Chen, 2010 – China
• Menglunia Zhao & Li, 2012 – China
• Naatlo Coddington, 1986 – Central America, South America, Trinidad and Tobago
• Ogulnius O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 – South America, Caribbean, Panama, Asia
• Parogulnius Archer, 1953 – United States
• Plato Coddington, 1986 – South America, Trinidad
• Sennin Suzuki, Hiramatsu & Tatsuta, 2022 – Japan
• Sinoalaria Zhao & Li, 2014 – China
• Tagalogonia Labarque & Griswold, 2014 – Philippines
• Theridiosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879 – South America, Africa, Oceania, North America, Asia, Central America, Jamaica
• Wendilgarda Keyserling, 1886 – Asia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Central America, Brazil, Mexico, Caribbean
• Zoma Saaristo, 1996 – China, Seychelles

Fossil species

• †Eoepeirotypus Wunderlich 2004 Baltic amber, Eocene
• †Eotheridiosoma Wunderlich 2004 Bitterfeld amber, Baltic amber, Eocene
• †Palaeoepeirotypus Wunderlich 1988 Dominican amber, Miocene
• †Umerosoma Wunderlich 2004 Baltic amber, Eocene
• †"Baalzebub" mesozoicum - Vendée amber, France, Turonian^[4] later considered to be stem-theridiosomatid^[5]

See also

• List of Theridiosomatidae species

Notes and References

1. Book: Simon, E.. Eugène Simon. 1881. Les arachnides de France. Tome cinquième, première partie.
2. Book: Kaston, B.J. . B. J. Kaston . How to Know the Spiders . 3rd . Pictured key nature series . Wm C. Brown Company Publishers . Dubuque, IA . 1972 . 9780697048981 . 668250654 .
3. Web site: Family: Theridiosomatidae Simon, 1881 . 2023-04-25 . World Spider Catalog . Natural History Museum Bern.
4. 2014-12-01. A fossil ray spider (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) in Cretaceous amber from Vendée, France. Paleontological Contributions. 10.17161/pc.1808.15982. 1946-0279. free. 1808/15982. free.
5. Magalhaes. Ivan L. F.. Azevedo. Guilherme H. F.. Michalik. Peter. Ramírez. Martín J.. February 2020. The fossil record of spiders revisited: implications for calibrating trees and evidence for a major faunal turnover since the Mesozoic. Biological Reviews. en. 95. 1. 184–217. 10.1111/brv.12559. 31713947. 207937170. 1464-7931.