The family Dipluridae, known as curtain-web spiders (or confusingly with other distantly related ones as funnel-web tarantulas) are a group of

spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

s in the infraorder Mygalomorphae, that have two pairs of booklungs, and

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as " jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or similarl ...

(fangs) that move up and down in a stabbing motion. A number of

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, including that of the

Sydney funnel-web spider The Sydney funnel-web spider (''Atrax robustus'') is a species of venomous mygalomorph spider native to eastern Australia, usually found within a radius of Sydney. It is a member of a group of spiders known as Australian funnel-web spiders. I ...

(''Atrax''), used to be classified in this family but have now been moved to

Hexathelidae Hexathelidae is a family of mygalomorph spiders. It is one of a number of families and genera of spiders known as funnel-web spiders. In 2018, the family was substantially reduced in size by genera being moved to three separate families: Atracid ...

Description

Dipluridae lack a

rastellum ''Rastellum'' is an extinct genus of molluscs, which lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. This species is also known as ''Arctostrea carinata''. Subtaxa Species within this genus include: * †''Rastellum (Arctostrea) '' Pervin ...

(stout conical spines) on their

. Their

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...

is characterized by the head region not being higher than the thoracic region. Their posterior median spinnerets (silk-extruding organs) are much shorter than their posterior lateral spinnerets, which have three segments, and are elongated (almost as long as their

opisthosoma The opisthosoma is the posterior part of the body in some arthropods, behind the prosoma (cephalothorax). It is a distinctive feature of the subphylum Chelicerata (arachnids, horseshoe crabs and others). Although it is similar in most respects to ...

). Most of the species are medium to small-sized spiders; some may measure about 15 mm.Murphy & Murphy 2000 The cave species ''

Masteria caeca ''Masteria'' is a genus of curtain web spiders that was first described by L. Koch in 1873. They occur in the tropics of Central to South America, Asia and Micronesia, with one species found in Australia. ''M. petrunkevitchi'' males are lo ...

'' is eyeless.

Biology

Members of this family often build rather messy funnel-webs. Some build silk-lined burrows instead of webs (''Diplura'', ''Trechona'', some ''Linothele'' sp.). They generally build their retreats in crevices in earthen banks, the bark of trees, under logs or in leaf litter.

Distribution

As circumscribed , the family is mostly found in South America and the Caribbean, with some genera found in Australia and

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

Genera

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepted the following genera: *''

Diplura The order Diplura ("two-pronged bristletails") is one of three orders of non-insect hexapods within the class Entognatha (alongside Collembola (springtails) and Protura). The name "diplura", or "two tails", refers to the characteristic pair of ...

'' C. L. Koch, 1850 — South America *'' Harmonicon'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 — Brazil *''

Linothele ''Linothele'' is a genus of South American curtain web spiders that was first described by Ferdinand Karsch in 1879. The venom of Linothele sp has a median lethal dose of 0.6 mg / kg, two toxins, both of low molecular weight, were isolated in ...

'' Karsch, 1879 — South America *''

Masteria ''Masteria'' is a genus of curtain web spiders that was first described by L. Koch in 1873. They occur in the tropics of Central to South America, Asia and Micronesia, with one species found in Australia. ''M. petrunkevitchi'' males are lo ...

'' L. Koch, 1873 — South America, Caribbean, Philippines, Central America, Oceania *''

Siremata ''Siremata'' is a genus of curtain web spiders first described by V. Passanha & Antônio Domingos Brescovit in 2018. it contains only three species. References External links Dipluridae Mygalomorphae genera {{Mygalomorphae-stub ...

'' Passanha & Brescovit, 2018 — Brazil *''

Striamea ''Striamea'' is a genus of South American curtain web spiders that was first described by Robert Raven Robert John Raven is an Australian arachnologist, being the Head of Terrestrial Biodiversity and the Senior Curator (Arachnida) at the Qu ...

'' Raven, 1981 — Colombia *''

Trechona ''Trechona'' is a genus of South American curtain web spiders that was first described by C. L. Koch in 1850. The venom of at least one species is considered potentially dangerous to humans. Characteristics Spiders of this genus grow up to ...

'' C. L. Koch, 1850 — Brazil *''

Troglodiplura ''Troglodiplura'' is a genus of Australian Anamidae spiders. Formerly monotypic, in 2020, four new species were added to the genus. The genus and type species, '' Troglodiplura lowryi'', were first described by Barbara York Main in 1969. The genu ...

'' Main, 1969 — Australia

Transferred to other families

The following genera are now placed in other families (elevated from subfamilies): *''

Allothele ''Allothele'' is a genus of African spiders in the family Euagridae. It was first described by R. W. E. Tucker in 1920. Species it contains five species: *'' Allothele australis'' (Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 ...

'' Tucker, 1920 →

Euagridae ''Euagridae'' is a family of mygalomorph spiders. The group was first described as a tribe in 1979 by Robert Raven, who in 1985 elevated it to a subfamily. In 2020, Optova et al. elevated it further to a family. Genera , the World Spider Catalog ...

*'' Andethele'' Coyle, 1995 → Ischnothelidae *'' Australothele'' Raven, 1984 → Euagridae *'' Caledothele'' Raven, 1991 → Euagridae *'' Carrai'' Raven, 1984 → Euagridae *'' Cethegus'' Thorell, 1881 → Euagridae *'' Chilehexops'' Coyle, 1986 → Euagridae *'' Euagrus'' Ausserer, 1875 → Euagridae *'' Indothele'' Coyle, 1995 → Ischnothelidae *''

Ischnothele ''Ischnothele'', also known as scatter-web spiders is a genus of spiders in the family Ischnothelidae. It was first described by Anton Ausserer Anton Ausserer (5 July 184320 July 1889)Maurer, Ferdinand: ''Nachruf an Dr. Anton Ausserer.'' Pr ...

'' Ausserer, 1875 → Ischnothelidae *'' Lathrothele'' Benoit, 1965 → Ischnothelidae *'' Leptothele'' Raven & Schwendinger, 1995 → Euagridae *'' Microhexura'' Crosby & Bishop, 1925 → Microhexuridae *'' Namirea'' Raven, 1984 → Euagridae *'' Phyxioschema'' Simon, 1889 → Euagridae *'' Stenygrocercus'' Simon, 1892 → Euagridae *'' Thelechoris'' Karsch, 1881 → Ischnothelidae *'' Vilchura'' Ríos-Tamayo & Goloboff, 2017 → Euagridae

Extinct species

Extinct genera and species that have been placed in this family include: * †'' Clostes'' Menge, 1869 — ,

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than ...

** †''Clostes priscus'' (Menge, 1869) * †'' Cretadiplura'' Selden, 2005 — Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Crato Formation The Crato Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous (Aptian) age in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. It is an important Lagerstätte (undisturbed fossil accumulation) for palaeontologists. The strata were laid down mostly during ...

, Brazil ** †''Cretadiplura ceara'' Selden, 2005 * †'' Dinodiplura'' Selden, 2005 — Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Crato Formation, Brazil ** †''Dinodiplura ambulacra'' Selden, 2005 * †'' Seldischnoplura'' Raven, Jell & Knezour, 2015 — , Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Crato Formation, Brazil ** †''Seldischnoplura seldeni'' Raven, Jell & Knezour, 2015 * †'' Edwa'' Raven, Jell & Knezour, 2015 — Late Triassic (Norian)

Blackstone Formation, Australia The Blackstone Formation is a geologic formation of the Ipswich Coal Measures Group in southeastern Queensland, Australia, dating to the Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic. The shales, siltstones, coal and tuffs were deposited in a la ...

** †''Edwa maryae'' Raven, Jell & Knezour, 2015 * † '' Phyxioschemoides'' Wunderlich, 2015 — Cretaceous

Burmese amber Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, is amber from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. The amber is dated to around 100 million years ago, during the latest Albian to earliest Cenomanian ages of the mid-Cretaceous period. The ...

** † ''Phyxioschemoides collembola'' Wunderlich, 2015 * † '' Cethegoides'' Wunderlich, 2017 — Cretaceous

** † ''Cethegoides patricki'' Wunderlich, 2017

References

* Murphy, Frances & Murphy, John (2000): An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia. ''Malaysian Nature Society'', Kuala Lumpur.

External links

Taxonomy, housing and captive breeding of Dipluridae sp.
including key to all genera {{Taxonbar, from=Q10057 Mygalomorphae families Norian first appearances Extant Late Triassic first appearances