Oonopidae


Oonopidae, also known as goblin spiders, is a family of spiders consisting of almost 2,000 described species in 115 genera worldwide, with total species diversity estimated at 2000 to 2500 species. The type genus of the family is Oonops Keyserling, 1835.

Description

Goblin spiders are generally tiny, measuring about 1 to 3 millimeters. Some have scuta, hardened plates on their abdomens. Oonopids usually have six eyes, the anterior median eyes having been lost. However, four-eyed, two-eyed and even completely eyeless species are also known. The family is permeated with unusual morphological traits, many of which are limited to males. Examples include heavily modified mouthparts, sternal pouches and extensions of the carapace. The male pedipalps are also often highly modified. The genus Opopaea, for example, exhibits an expanded palpal patella while male Ischnothyreus are characterized by completely sclerotized, pitch-black pedipalps. Members of the genus Orchestina are believed to be able to jump, as both sexes have greatly enlarged femora on the fourth leg pair.

Life style

Oonopidae are seldom seen by people as they are too small to be easily noticed. They are generally found in the leaf litter layer and under rocks, but they also constitute a significant component of the spider fauna living in the canopy of tropical rainforest. Three blind Afrotropical genera are exclusively found in termite nests. A few species, such as the pantropical Heteroonops spinimanus and Triaeris stenaspis, are thought to be parthenogenetic as no males have yet been collected.

Fossil record

Oonopidae are frequently encountered as subfossils preserved in copals and as fossils preserved in amber. Oonopids even occur in more amber deposits than any other spider family, which may be accounted for by their widespread distribution, small size, and wandering behaviour, as amber appears to be biased towards trapping such spiders. In contrast, sedimentary fossils of Oonopidae are unknown.
Most fossil oonopids described from amber are assigned to the extant genus Orchestina. This genus was already widespread by the end of the Cretaceous, as indicated by specimens found in amber dating back over 100 million years.

Genera

, this family includes 115 genera and 1,978 species:Amazoonops Ott, Ruiz, Brescovit & Bonaldo, 2017 – BrazilAnophthalmoonops Benoit, 1976 – AngolaAntoonops Fannes & Jocqué, 2008 – Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, NigeriaAposphragisma Thoma, 2014 – Southeast Asia, BorneoAprusia Simon, 1893 – India, Sri LankaAschnaoonops Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011 – Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Virgin Islands, South AmericaAustraloonops Hewitt, 1915 – Mozambique, South AfricaBannana Tong & Li, 2015 – ChinaBidysderina Platnick, Dupérré, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – EcuadorBipoonops Bolzern, 2014 – EcuadorBirabenella Grismado, 2010 – Argentina, Chile, PeruBlanioonops Simon & Fage, 1922 – East AfricaBrignolia Dumitrescu & Georgescu, 1983 – Mauritius, Seychelles, Asia, United States, Borneo. Introduced to Africa, Australia, South AmericaCaecoonops Benoit, 1964 – DR CongoCamptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 – Asia, New CaledoniaCavisternum Baehr, Harvey & Smith, 2010 – Sri Lanka, AustraliaCinetomorpha Simon, 1892 – Mexico to South AmericaCortestina Knoflach, 2009 – Austria, Italy, SpainCostarina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – North America, ColombiaCousinea Saaristo, 2001 – SeychellesCoxapopha Platnick, 2000 – Panama, Argentina, Brazil, PeruDalmasula Platnick, Szűts & Ubick, 2012 – Namibia, South AfricaDiblemma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1908 – Seychelles. Introduced to Switzerland, BritainDysderina Simon, 1892 – Africa, South America, PhilippinesDysderoides Fage, 1946 – Thailand, IndiaEmboonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – MexicoEscaphiella Platnick & Dupérré, 2009 – North America, South AmericaFarqua Saaristo, 2001 – SeychellesGamasomorpha Karsch, 1881 – Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, HawaiiGradunguloonops Grismado, Izquierdo, González M. & Ramírez, 2015 – South AmericaGrymeus Harvey, 1987 – Sri Lanka, AustraliaGuaraguaoonops Brescovit, Rheims & Bonaldo, 2012 – BrazilGuatemoonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Guatemala, MexicoHeteroonops Dalmas, 1916 – North to South America. Introduced to Madagascar, Japan, Europe, Australia, Pacific IslandsHexapopha Platnick, Berniker & Víquez, 2014 – Costa Rica, South AmericaHimalayana Grismado, 2014 – India, NepalHortoonops Platnick & Dupérré, 2012 – Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Virgin IslandsHypnoonops Benoit, 1977 – CongoIschnothyreus Simon, 1893 – Madagascar, Asia, Oceania. Introduced to Europe, AfricaKachinia Tong & Li, 2018 – China, MyanmarKapitia Forster, 1956 – New ZealandKhamiscar Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – MadagascarKhamisia Saaristo & van Harten, 2006 – Kenya, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. Introduced to Cape VerdeKhamisina Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Congo, Kenya, NigeriaKhamisoides Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Virgin IslandsKijabe Berland, 1914 – Kenya, East AfricaLionneta Benoit, 1979 – SeychellesLongoonops Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Cuba, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, PanamaMalagiella Ubick & Griswold, 2011 – MadagascarMegabulbus Saaristo, 2007 – IsraelMegaoonops Saaristo, 2007 – IsraelMelchisedec Fannes, 2010 – Niger, East Africa, WestMolotra Ubick & Griswold, 2011 – MadagascarNeotrops Grismado & Ramírez, 2013 – Trinidad, Panama, South AmericaNeoxyphinus Birabén, 1953 – Jamaica, Trinidad, South AmericaNephrochirus Simon, 1910 – NamibiaNiarchos Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Colombia, Ecuador, PeruNoideattella Álvarez-Padilla, Ubick & Griswold, 2012 – Madagascar, SeychellesNoonops Platnick & Berniker, 2013 – Bahama Islands, Mexico, United StatesOonopinus Simon, 1893 – Africa, China, Europe, Oceania, VenezuelaOonopoides Bryant, 1940 – North America, Venezuela, possibly JamaicaOonops Templeton, 1835 – WorldwideOpopaea Simon, 1892 – WorldwideOrchestina Simon, 1882 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania. Introduced to South AmericaOvobulbus Saaristo, 2007 – Egypt, IsraelParadysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – South AmericaParamolotra Tong & Li, 2021 – China, IndiaPatri Saaristo, 2001 – SeychellesPelicinus Simon, 1892 – Asia, Oceania. Introduced to Africa, South AmericaPescennina Simon, 1903 – Mexico to South AmericaPlectoptilus Simon, 1905 – IndonesiaPonsoonops Bolzern, 2014 – North America, Colombia, VenezuelaPredatoroonops Brescovit, Rheims & Ott, 2012 – BrazilPrethopalpus Baehr, Harvey, Burger & Thoma, 2012 – Asia, Australia, Papua New GuineaPrida Saaristo, 2001 – Seychelles. Introduced to SwitzerlandProdysderina Platnick, Dupérré, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Colombia, VenezuelaPromolotra Tong & Li, 2020 – China, MyanmarPseudodysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – South AmericaPseudoscaphiella Simon, 1907 – South AfricaPuan Izquierdo, 2012 – ArgentinaReductoonops Platnick & Berniker, 2014 – Mexico to South AmericaScaphidysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – Colombia, Ecuador, PeruScaphiella Simon, 1892 – North America, South America, SabaScaphioides Bryant, 1942 – North AmericaScaphios Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Colombia, EcuadorSemibulbus Saaristo, 2007 – IsraelSemidysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – ColombiaSetayeshoonops Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011 – SurinameSicariomorpha Ott & Harvey, 2015 – MalaysiaSilhouettella Benoit, 1979 – Africa, Asia, EuropSimlops Bonaldo, Ott & Ruiz, 2014 – Trinidad, South AmericaSimonoonops Harvey, 2002 – Caribbean, Guyana, VenezuelaSocotroonops Saaristo & van Harten, 2002 – YemenSpinestis Saaristo & Marusik, 2009 – UkraineStenoonops Simon, 1892 – Seychelles, North America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guadaloupe, SabaSulsula Simon, 1882 – Algeria, Egypt, SudanTapinesthis Simon, 1914 – Europe. Introduced to North AmericaTelchius Simon, 1893 – Algeria, Morocco, South AfricaTermitoonops Benoit, 1964 – CongoTinadysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Colombia, EcuadorTolegnaro Álvarez-Padilla, Ubick & Griswold, 2012 – MadagascarToloonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Belize, Guatemala, MexicoTriaeris Simon, 1892 – Africa, India, Zanzibar.Tridysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – EcuadorTrilacuna Tong & Li, 2007 – AsiaUnicorn Platnick & Brescovit, 1995 – Argentina, Bolivia, ChileVarioonops Bolzern & Platnick, 2013 – Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, VenezuelaVientianea Tong & Li, 2013 – LaosVolborattella Saucedo & Ubick, 2015 – MadagascarWanops Chamberlin & Ivie, 1938 – MexicoXestaspis Simon, 1885 – Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Africa, Asia, Australia, French Polynesia. Introduced to Japan, Yemen, South AmericaXiombarg Brignoli, 1979 – Argentina, BrazilXyccarph Brignoli, 1978 – BrazilXyphinus Simon, 1893 – Asia, Australia, BorneoZyngoonops Benoit, 1977 – Congo, Central African Republic

Extinct genera