The Entelegynae or entelegynes are a subgroup of

araneomorph The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their cl ...

spiders, the largest of the two main groups into which the araneomorphs were traditionally divided. Females have a genital plate ( epigynum) and a "flow through" fertilization system; males have complex

palpal bulb The two palpal bulbs – also known as palpal organs and genital bulbs – are the copulatory organs of a male spider. They are borne on the last segment of the pedipalps (the front "limbs" of a spider), giving the spider an appearance often desc ...

s. Molecular phylogenetic studies have supported the

monophyly In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic grou ...

of Entelegynae (whereas the other traditional subgroup, the

Haplogynae The Haplogynae or haplogynes are one of the two main groups into which araneomorph spiders have traditionally been divided, the other being the Entelegynae. Morphological phylogenetic studies suggested that the Haplogynae formed a clade; more recen ...

, has been shown not to be monophyletic). The clade contains both

cribellate Cribellum literally means "little sieve", and in biology the term generally applies to anatomical structures in the form of tiny perforated plates. In certain groups of diatoms it refers to microscopically punctured regions of the frustule, or o ...

and ecribellate spiders.

Characterization

The Entelegynae are characterized primarily by the nature of the female genital system. The ancestral ( plesiomorphic) system is found in non-entelegyne spiders, where there is a single external genital opening in the female's abdomen. One or more males inject sperm from their

s via this opening; the sperm is usually stored in special

spermathecae The spermatheca (pronounced plural: spermathecae ), also called receptaculum seminis (plural: receptacula seminis), is an organ of the female reproductive tract in insects, e.g. ants, bees, some molluscs, oligochaeta worms and certain other in ...

(absent in some spiders, e.g. ''

Pholcus ''Pholcus'' is a genus of spiders in the family Pholcidae, with 361 described species as of October 2021. It includes the cellar spider '' P. phalangioides'', often called the "daddy longlegs". This may cause confusion because the name "daddy ...

''). When eggs are released from the ovaries, sperm is also released, and the fertilized eggs pass out of the female's body by the same opening. Sperm that enters first is likely to be the last to fertilize eggs. In entelegyne spiders, there are three external openings in the female's body. Sperm is injected via one or other of the two separate copulatory openings and enters the spermathecae. Egg release and fertilization occurs in the same way as in non-entelegyne spiders. In this "flow through" system, sperm that enters first can be the first to fertilize eggs. The copulatory openings are usually surrounded by a hardened (sclerotized) area called the epigynum. In some entelegyne families, such as araneids, the epigynum includes a projection that covers or partially covers the copulatory openings. This plays a role in aligning the male's palpal bulb during mating. Male entelegyne spiders generally have more complex palpal bulbs than other groups of spiders and the bulbs are expanded and moved by haemolytic pressure alone, as there are no muscles attached to them.

Phylogeny

In 2016, a large molecular phylogenetic study was published online that included 932 spider species, representing all but one of the then known families. It supported the monophyly of Entelegynae, but presented a somewhat complex picture of its position within Araneomorphae. Araneomorph spiders were divided into two clades: one comprising the families Filistatidae and

Hypochilidae Lampshade spiders, family Hypochilidae, are among the most primitive of araneomorph spiders. There are two genera and twelve species currently recognized. Like mygalomorphs, most hypochilids have two pairs of book lungs, but like araneomorphs th ...

plus the clade

Synspermiata Synspermiata is a clade of araneomorph spiders, comprising most of the former " haplogynes". They are united by having simpler genitalia than other araneomorph spiders, lacking a cribellum, and sharing an evolutionary history of synspermia – a ...

, the other comprising three non-monophyletic families (

Austrochilidae Austrochilidae is a small spider family with nine species in two genera. ''Austrochilus'' and ''Thaida'' are endemic to the Andean forest of central and southern Chile and adjacent Argentina. Taxonomy , two genera are placed in the family Austr ...

, Gradungulidae and

Leptonetidae Leptonetidae is a relatively primitive family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1890. It is made up of tiny haplogyne spiders, meaning they lack the hardened external female genitalia. Their six eyes are arranged in a semicircle of f ...

) plus

Palpimanoidea The Palpimanoidea or palpimanoids, also known as assassin spiders, are a group of araneomorph spiders, originally treated as a superfamily. As with many such groups, its circumscription has varied. , the following five families were included: * A ...

, the four being basal to Entelegynae. Most members of the former Haplogynae are placed in the

. Filistatidae is placed outside the Synspermiata;

, which was found not to be monophyletic, is placed basal to the Entelegynae.

Families

The cladogram in Wheeler et al. (2017) includes the following families in the Entelegynae. The main difference from previous circumscriptions, such as Coddington in 2005, is that the

are excluded. A few groups within otherwise entelegyne families have reverted to a haplogyne state: the genera ''

Comaroma ''Comaroma'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders in the family Anapidae, first described by Philipp Bertkau Philipp Bertkau (11 January 1849 – 22 October 1894) was a German zoologist born in Cologne. He studied natural sciences at the Univers ...

'', ''

Tangaroa Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...

'' and '' Waitkera'', and some members of the family

Tetragnathidae Long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Anton Menge in 1866. They have elongated bodies, legs, and chelicerae, and build small orb webs with an open hub with few, wide-se ...

. *

Agelenidae The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus ''Agelenopsis''. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider (''Erat ...

Amaurobiidae ''Amaurobiidae'' is a family of three-clawed cribellate or ecribellate spiders found in crevices and hollows or under stones where they build retreats, and are often collected in pitfall traps. Unlidded burrows are sometimes quite obvious in crust ...

Ammoxenidae Ground spiders comprise Gnaphosidae, the seventh largest spider family with over 2,000 described species in over 100 genera distributed worldwide. There are 105 species known to central Europe, and common genera include '' Gnaphosa'', '' Drassode ...

Anapidae Anapidae is a family of rather small spiders with 231 described species in 58 genera. It includes the former family Micropholcommatidae as the subfamily Micropholcommatinae, and the former family Holarchaeidae. Most species are less than long. ...

Anyphaenidae Anyphaenidae is a family of araneomorph spiders, sometimes called anyphaenid sac spiders. They are distinguished from the sac spiders of the family Clubionidae and other spiders by having the abdominal spiracle placed one third to one half of th ...

Araneidae Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name ...

Arkyidae Arkyidae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1872 as a subfamily of Araneidae, and later elevated to a full family in 2017. Genera and species This section lists all described species In bi ...

Cheiracanthiidae ''Cheiracanthiidae'' is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Vladimir Wagner in 1887. The synonym Eutichuridae was used for a long time, but Cheiracanthiidae has priority. The largest genus currently recognized as belonging to this ...

(syn. Eutichuridae) *

Cithaeronidae Cithaeronidae is a small family of araneomorph spiders first described by Simon in 1893 Female ''Cithaeron'' are about long, males about . They are pale yellowish, fast-moving spiders that actively hunt at night and rest during the day, building ...

Clubionidae The sac spiders of the family Clubionidae have a very confusing taxonomic history. Once, this family was a large catch-all taxon for a disparate collection of spiders, similar only in that they had eight eyes arranged in two rows and conical anter ...

Corinnidae Corinnidae is a family of araneomorph spiders, sometimes called corinnid sac spiders. The family, like other "clubionoid" families, has a confusing taxonomic history. Once it was a part of the large catch-all taxon Clubionidae, now very much small ...

Ctenidae Wandering spiders (''Ctenidae'') are a family of spiders that includes the Brazilian wandering spiders. These spiders have a distinctive longitudinal groove on the top-rear of their oval carapace similar to those of the Amaurobiidae. They are hig ...

Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1894. Most live in moist montane forest, though several species, including '' Scharffia rossi'', live in dry savannah regions. They occur in Africa, including Madagascar, N ...

Cybaeidae Cybaeidae is a family of spiders first described by Nathan Banks in 1892. The diving bell spider or water spider ''Argyroneta aquatica'' was previously included in this family, but is now in the family Dictynidae. Genera , the World Spider Cat ...

Cycloctenidae Cycloctenidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1898. Genera , the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera: *''Cycloctenus'' L. Koch, 1878 — Australia, New Zealand *''Galliena'' Simon, 1898 — Indonesia *'' ...

Deinopidae Deinopidae, also known as net casting spiders, is a family of cribellate spiders first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1850. It consists of stick-like elongated spiders that catch prey by stretching a web across their front legs before propelling ...

Desidae Desidae is a family of spiders, some of which are known as intertidal spiders. The family is named for the genus '' Desis'', members of which live in a very unusual location — between the tides. The family has been reevaluated in recent years an ...

Dictynidae Dictynidae is a family (biology), family of cribellate, hackled band-producing spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1871. Most build irregular webs on or near the ground, creating a tangle of silken fibers among several branche ...

Eresidae Velvet spiders (family Eresidae) are a small group (about 130 species in 9 genera) of spiders almost entirely limited to the Old World, with exception of a few species known from Brazil. In Europe some are commonly called the ladybird spiders ...

Gallieniellidae Gallieniellidae is a family of spiders first described by J. Millot in 1947. It was originally thought to be endemic (ecology), endemic to Madagascar until species were also found in southern Kenya, northeastern Argentina, and Australia. ''Drassod ...

Gnaphosidae Ground spiders comprise Gnaphosidae, the seventh largest spider family with over 2,000 described species in over 100 genera distributed worldwide. There are 105 species known to central Europe, and common genera include ''Gnaphosa'', ''Drassodes ...

Hahniidae Dwarf sheet spiders (Hahniidae) is a family of araneomorph spiders, first described by Philipp Bertkau in 1878. Their bodies are about long, and they build extremely delicate webs in the form of a sheet. Unlike many spiders the web does not lead ...

Hersiliidae Hersiliidae is a tropical and subtropical family of spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869, which are commonly known as tree trunk spiders. They have two prominent spinnerets that are almost as long as their abdomen, earning them ano ...

Homalonychidae ''Homalonychus'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders, and is the only genus in the family Homalonychidae. It was first described by George Marx in 1891. it contains only two species: '' H. selenopoides'' and '' H. theologus''. They are found in th ...

Lamponidae Lamponidae is a family of spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1893. It contains about 200 described species in 23 genera, most of which are endemic to Australia, with the genus ''Centrocalia'' endemic to New Caledonia, and two ''Lampona ...

Linyphiidae Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and in Portugal, from the superstition that if such a spider is seen running on you, ...

Liocranidae Liocranidae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1897. They are one of several groups called "sac spiders". The holarctic genus '' Agroeca'' is the best-known, but it also includes various genera of more obscure ...

Lycosidae Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (). They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or ...

Malkaridae Malkaridae is a small family of araneomorph spiders first described by Valerie Todd Davies in 1980. In 2017, the family Pararchaeidae was brought into synonymy with Malkaridae. Genera , the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera: *'' ...

* Megadictynidae *

Mimetidae Pirate spiders, members of the family Mimetidae, are araneomorph spiders which typically feed on other spiders. The family Mimetidae contains roughly 200 species divided among 12 genera, of which ''Mimetus'' and ''Ero'' are the most common. Mim ...

Miturgidae Miturgidae is a family of araneomorph spiders that includes nearly 170 species in 29 genera worldwide. First described by Eugène Simon in 1886, it has been substantially revised, and includes the previous family Zoridae as a synonym, and exclud ...

Mysmenidae Mysmenidae is a spider family with about 135 described species in thirteen genera. The family is one of the least well known of the orb-weaving spiders because of their small size () and cryptic behaviour. These spiders are found in humid habitats ...

Nesticidae Scaffold web spiders (Nesticidae) is a family of araneomorph spiders closely allied with tangle web spiders. Like the " Theridiidae", these spiders have a comb of serrated bristles on the hind tarsi that are used to pull silk bands from the spin ...

Nicodamidae Nicodamidae is a family of araneomorph spiders with about thirty species in seven genera. They are small to medium-sized spiders found near the ground of eucalypt forest in small sheet webs. The species of this family are only present in Australia ...

Oecobiidae Oecobiidae, also called disc web spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders, including about 100 described species. They are small to moderate sized spiders (about long combined head and body length, depending on the species. Larger ones tend to ...

Oxyopidae Lynx spider (Oxyopidae) is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1870. Most species make little use of webs, instead spending their lives as hunting spiders on plants. Many species frequent flowers in particular, ...

* Penestomidae *

Philodromidae Philodromidae, also known as philodromid crab spiders and running crab spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell in 1870 (then known as subfamily Philodrominae within Thomisidae). It contains over ...

* Phrurolithidae *

Physoglenidae Physoglenidae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Alexander Petrunkevitch in 1928 as a subfamily of Pholcidae. It was later moved to Synotaxidae until a study in 2016 showed that they formed a distinct clade. Genera , the Wor ...

Phyxelididae Phyxelididae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Pekka T. Lehtinen in 1967 as a subfamily of Amaurobiidae, and later elevated to family status as a sister group of Titanoecidae. Genera , the World Spider Catalog accepts the fo ...

Pimoidae Pimoidae is a small family of araneomorph spiders first described by J. Wunderlich in 1986. As re-circumscribed in 2021, it is monophyletic, and contained 85 species in two genera. It is closely related to the Linyphiidae, and is sometimes treat ...

Pisauridae Nursery web spiders (Pisauridae) is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1890. They resemble wolf spiders (Lycosidae) except for several key differences. Wolf spiders have two very prominent eyes in addition to the o ...

* Psechridae *

Salticidae Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spi ...

Selenopidae Selenopidae, also called wall crab spiders, wall spiders and flatties, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1897. It contains over 280 species in nine genera, of which '' Selenops'' is the most well-known. This fa ...

* Senoculidae *

Sparassidae Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

Stiphidiidae Stiphidiidae, also called sheetweb spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described in 1917. Most species are medium size ('' Stiphidion facetum'' is about long) and speckled brown with long legs. All members of this family occur in ...

* Symphytognathidae * Synotaxidae *

Theridiidae Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes over 3,000 sp ...

* Theridiosomatidae *

Thomisidae The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of th ...

Titanoecidae Titanoecidae is a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Pekka T. Lehtinen in 1967. It is fairly widespread in the New World and Eurasia with five genera and more than 50 species worldwide. These are mostly dark-colored builders of "wo ...

Toxopidae Toxopidae is a small family of araneomorph spiders, first described in 1940. For many years it was sunk into Desidae as a subfamily, although doubts were expressed as to whether this was correct. A large-scale molecular phylogenetic study in 201 ...

Trachelidae Trachelidae is a family of araneomorph spiders (more recently evolved spiders with inward-pointing chelicerae) first described by Eugène Simon in 1897 as a subfamily called "Tracheleae" ("Trachelinae" in modern terminology). The Trachelidae fam ...

* Trechaleidae *

Trochanteriidae Trochanteriidae is a family of spiders first described by Ferdinand Karsch in 1879 containing about 52 species in6 genera. Most are endemic to Australia though ''Doliomalus'' and ''Trochanteria'' are from South America and ''Plator'' is from Asia ...

Udubidae Udubidae is a family of araneomorph spiders, most of whose members were formerly placed in the family Zorocratidae, which is no longer accepted. Phylogeny A study investigating the phylogenetic relationships of lycosoid spiders concluded that th ...

Uloboridae Uloboridae is a family of non-venomous spiders, known as cribellate orb weavers or hackled orb weavers. Their lack of venom glands is a secondarily evolved trait. Instead, they wrap their prey thoroughly in silk, cover it in regurgitated digestive ...

* Viridasiidae *

Xenoctenidae Xenoctenidae is a family of araneomorph spiders separated from Miturgidae in 2017. Genera and species , the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera and species: Incasoctenus Mello-Leitão, 1942 *'' Incasoctenus perplexus'' Mello-Leit ...

Zodariidae Ant spiders are members of the family Zodariidae. They are small to medium-sized eight-eyed spiders found in all tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, Arabia and the Indian sub ...

Zoropsidae Zoropsidae, also known as false wolf spiders for their physical similarity to wolf spiders, is a family of cribellate araneomorph spiders first described by Philipp Bertkau in 1882. They can be distinguished from wolf spiders by their two rows of ...

No representative of the family Synaphridae was included in the 2017 analysis, but previous analyses placed it in the Entelegynae.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138259 Araneomorphae