Dwarf tarantulas, also known as sheet funnel-web spiders are a type of spider from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Mecicobothriidae. Dwarf tarantulas are one of several families of the suborder

Mygalomorphae The Mygalomorphae, or mygalomorphs, are an infraorder of spiders, and comprise one of three major groups of living spiders with over 3000 species, found on all continents except Antarctica. Many members are known as trapdoor spiders due to the ...

; this larger group also includes the true

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

Description

Dwarf tarantulas, as the name indicates, appear very similar to tarantulas, but are physically much smaller. Many specimens are smaller than 1 cm in length, and the largest in the family are seldom larger than 2 cm. The spiders, like all Mygalomorphae, have downward pointing fangs; dwarf tarantulas also have long

spinnerets A spinneret is a silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect. Some adult insects also have spinnerets, such as those borne on the forelegs of Embioptera. Spinnerets are usually on the underside of a spider's opisthosoma, and are ...

Genera

There is currently only 1 recognized

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in this family: ''

Mecicobothrium ''Mecicobothrium'' is a genus of dwarf tarantulas first described by Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg in 1882. These spiders have three tarsal claws. The cephalic groove (fovea) is longitudinal. The abdomen has plates. The male palpal bulb lies in a lo ...

'' Holmberg, 1882 * '' Mecicobothrium baccai'' Lucas et al., 2006 — Brazil * ''

Mecicobothrium thorelli ''Mecicobothrium thorelli'' is a spider in the family Mecicobothriidae, native to Argentina and Uruguay. It was first described in 1882 by Holmberg. The Specific name (zoology), specific name ''thorelli'' honours Tamerlan Thorell. The species is ...

'' Holmberg, 1882 — Argentina, Uruguay Genera moved to other families include: *''

Hexura ''Hexura'' is a genus of American folding trapdoor spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1884. it contains two species, found in the United States: '' H. picea'' and '' H. rothi''. Originally placed with Mecicobothriidae, ...

'' Simon, 1884 →

Antrodiaetidae Antrodiaetidae, also known as folding trapdoor spiders or folding-door spiders, is a small spider family related to atypical tarantulas. They are found almost exclusively in the western and midwestern United States, from California to Washington ...

*'' Hexurella'' Gertsch & Platnick, 1979 → Hexurellidae *''

Megahexura ''Megahexura'' is a genus 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 arach ...

'' Kaston, 1972 → Megahexuridae

References

* Costa, F.G. & Pérez-Miles, F. (1998). Behavior, life cycle, and webs of ''Mecicobothrium thorelli'', ''The Journal of Arachnology'' 26:317-32
PDF
*Gertsch, W.G. & Platnick, N.I. (1979). A revision of the spider family Mecicobothriidae (Araneae, Mygalomorphae). ''American Museum Novitates'' 268
PDF (14Mb)

Abstract
* Mygalomorphae Spiders of South America Spiders of North America Taxa named by Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg {{Mygalomorphae-stub

Description

Genera

See also

References