''Cryptachaea'' is a

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 ...

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

Theridiidae Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of Araneomorphae, araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes ...

(tangle web spider) family.

Taxonomy

Many species in this genus used to reside in ''

Achaearanea ''Achaearanea'' is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Embrik Strand in 1929. It used to include the extremely abundant common house spider, which was transferred to genus '' Parasteatoda'' in 2006, together with many oth ...

'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally established as a subgenus of ''

Theridion ''Theridion'' is a genus of tangle-web spiders with a worldwide distribution. Notable species are the Hawaiian happy face spider (''T. grallator''), named for the iconic symbol on its abdomen, and '' T. nigroannulatum'', one of few spi ...

''.Yoshida 2008

Distribution

This is mostly a

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

genus, with many species in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. One species is cosmopolitan, one species occurs in the whole

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

, another only in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. '' C. veruculata'' was introduced to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Name

The genus name is a combination of ''Achaea'', the old name of the genus ''Achaearanea'', and

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

κρυπτός "hidden". The genus is called ''Iwama-himegumo zoku'' in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Species

* '' Cryptachaea acoreensis'' (Berland, 1932) — Cosmopolitan * ''

Cryptachaea alacris ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1884) — Colombia, Venezuela * ''

Cryptachaea altiventer ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1884) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea amazonas'' Buckup, Marques & Rodrigues, 2012Buckup, E.H.; Marques, M.A.L.; Rodrigues, E.N.L. 2012: Três novas espécies sul-americanas de ''Cryptachaea'' e acréscimos taxonômicos em ''Achaearanea'' (Araneae, Theridiidae) hree new South American species of ''Cryptachaea'' and taxonomic additions in ''Achaearanea'' (Araneae, Theridiidae).''Iheringia série zoologia'', 102(2): 206-211. * ''

Cryptachaea ambera ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — USA * ''

Cryptachaea analista ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea anastema ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Venezuela * ''

Cryptachaea azteca ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936) — Mexico * ''

Cryptachaea banosensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Ecuador * ''

Cryptachaea barra ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea bellula ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1891) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea blattea ''Cryptachaea blattea'' is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in Africa, and has been introduced into the United States, Chile, the Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( ...

'' (Urquhart, 1886) — cosmopolitan * ''

Cryptachaea caliensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Colombia, Ecuador * ''

Cryptachaea canionis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Chamberlin & Gertsch, 1929) — USA * ''

Cryptachaea caqueza ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Colombia * ''

Cryptachaea chilensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Chile * ''

Cryptachaea chiricahua ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1955) — USA * '' Cryptachaea cinnabarina'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea diamantina'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea dromedariformis'' (Roewer, 1942) — Ecuador, Peru * '' Cryptachaea eramus'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea fresno'' (Levi, 1955) — USA * ''

Cryptachaea gigantea ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1884) — Peru * '' Cryptachaea gigantipes'' (Keyserling, 1890) — Australia, New ZealandSmith, H.M.; Vink, C.J.; Fitzgerald, B.M.; Sirvid, P.J. 2012: Redescription and generic placement of the spider ''Cryptachaea gigantipes'' (Keyserling, 1890) (Araneae: Theridiidae) and notes on related synanthropic species in Australasia. ''Zootaxa'', 3507: 38-56
PreviewPDF
/ref> * '' Cryptachaea hirta'' (Taczanowski, 1873) — Panama to Argentina * '' Cryptachaea ingijonathorum'' Buckup, Marques & Rodrigues, 2012 * ''

Cryptachaea inops ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil, Guyana * ''

Cryptachaea insulsa ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936) — USA, Mexico * ''

Cryptachaea isana ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea jequirituba'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina * '' Cryptachaea kaspi'' (Levi, 1963) — Peru * '' Cryptachaea koepckei'' (Levi, 1963) — Peru * '' Cryptachaea lota'' (Levi, 1963) — Chile * '' Cryptachaea manzanillo'' (Levi, 1959) — Mexico * ''

Cryptachaea maraca ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Buckup & Marques, 1991) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea maxima ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1891) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea meraukensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' ( Chrysanthus, 1963) — New Guinea * ''

Cryptachaea migrans ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1884) — Venezuela to Peru, Brazil * '' Cryptachaea milagro'' (Levi, 1963) — Ecuador * '' Cryptachaea maldonado'' Buckup, Marques & Rodrigues, 2012 * '' Cryptachaea nayaritensis'' (Levi, 1959) — Mexico * '' Cryptachaea oblivia'' (O. P.-Cambridge, 1896) — Costa Rica, Panama * '' Cryptachaea orana'' (Levi, 1963) — Ecuador * ''

Cryptachaea pallipera ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea parana'' (Levi, 1963) — Paraguay * '' Cryptachaea passiva'' (Keyserling, 1891) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea pilaton'' (Levi, 1963) — Ecuador * ''

Cryptachaea pinguis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Keyserling, 1886) — Brazil, Uruguay * ''

Cryptachaea porteri ''Cryptachaea porteri'' is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in a range from the United States to Panama and the Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; ...

'' (Banks, 1896) — USA to Panama, West Indies * '' Cryptachaea projectivulva'' (Yoshida, 2001) — Japan * '' Cryptachaea pura'' (O. P.-Cambridge, 1894) — Mexico * ''

Cryptachaea pusillana ''Cryptachaea pusillana'' is a tangle web spider species found in French Guiana. See also * List of Theridiidae species This page lists all described genera and species of the spider family Theridiidae. , the World Spider Catalog accepts 3 ...

'' (Roewer, 1942) — French Guiana * ''

Cryptachaea pydanieli ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Buckup & Marques, 1991) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea rafaeli'' (Buckup & Marques, 1991) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea rapa'' (Levi, 1963) — Paraguay * '' Cryptachaea rioensis'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea riparia'' (Blackwall, 1834) — Palearctic * '' Cryptachaea rostra'' (Zhu & Zhang, 1992) — China * ''

Cryptachaea rostrata ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (O. P.-Cambridge, 1896) — Mexico to Venezuela * '' Cryptachaea rupicola'' (Emerton, 1882) — USA, Canada * '' Cryptachaea schneirlai'' (Levi, 1959) — Panama * '' Cryptachaea schraderorum'' (Levi, 1959) — Costa Rica * '' Cryptachaea serenoae'' (Gertsch & Archer, 1942) — USA * ''

Cryptachaea sicki ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in '' Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establis ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Brazil * '' Cryptachaea taeniata'' (Keyserling, 1884) — Guatemala to Peru * ''

Cryptachaea tovarensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Venezuela * '' Cryptachaea trinidensis'' (Levi, 1959) — Trinidad, Peru * ''

Cryptachaea uviana ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1963) — Peru * ''

Cryptachaea veruculata ''Cryptachaea veruculata'' is a spider native to Australia and New Zealand. It has been introduced into England and Belgium.Platnick 2009Yeates & Williams 2006 The species has potential to control spider mites and leafroller caterpillars in New Z ...

'' (Urquhart, 1886) — Australia, New Zealand, England, Belgium * '' Cryptachaea vivida'' (Keyserling, 1891) — Brazil * ''

Cryptachaea zonensis ''Cryptachaea'' is a genus of spiders in the Theridiidae (tangle web spider) family. Taxonomy Many species in this genus used to reside in ''Achaearanea'', which received a major revision in 2008.Platnick 2009 The genus was originally establish ...

'' (Levi, 1959) — Panama to Peru, Brazil

Notes

References

* (2008): A revision of the genus ''Achaearanea'' (Araneae: Theridiidae). ''Acta Arachnologica'' 57(1): 37-40
PDF
* (2009)

version 9.5. ''American Museum of Natural History''. Theridiidae Araneomorphae genera Cosmopolitan spiders {{Theridiidae-stub