Theridion


Theridion is a genus of tangle-web spiders with a worldwide distribution. Notable species are the Hawaiian happy face spider, named for the iconic symbol on its abdomen, and T. nigroannulatum, one of few spider species that lives in social groups, attacking prey en masse to overwhelm them as a team.

Identification

Spiders in this genus are about as long or longer than they are wide. Their chelicerae have two or less teeth on the front edge and none on the back edge. The front leg is the longest in both genders, but the next longest is the second leg in males and the fourth leg in females. The epigyne can vary, but the pedipalp has a median apophysis and a colulus is absent from both genders. In several species, the males have mastidia on the chelicerae.
Theridion has the anterior eye row slightly curved and with a gap between it and the posterior eye row. This distinguishes it from Enoplognatha, another theridiid genus in which the anterior eye row is almost straight and the gap between eye rows is very small.

Ecology

Theridion build tangle webs, usually under leaves and among vegetation. At night, spiders hang upside-down in these webs. During the day, they hide close by their webs.
Philodromus cespitum, a species of running crab spider, preys on Theridion spiders in European fruit orchards.

Mating

Mating behaviour has been studied in several Theridion species. It involves pseudocopulation, numerous sperm inductions and copulatory sequences. The male approaches the female to mate, usually in the latter's retreat. Male Theridion perform contralateral insertions, inserting their left palp into the female's right introductory duct and vice versa for the right palp. Female Theridion are less aggressive after mating compared to other genera of theridiids.

Species

, this genus includes 572 species and three subspecies. However, the genus has traditionally been assigned species that lack a colulus and did not fit into other genera. New species continue to be described on a regular basis.
These species have articles on Wikipedia:Theridion albidum Banks, 1895 – Canada, United StatesTheridion albocinctum Urquhart, 1892 – New ZealandTheridion albomaculosum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 – Sri LankaTheridion ampliatum Urquhart, 1892 – New ZealandTheridion argentatulum Roewer, 1942 – New ZealandTheridion attritum – Australia Theridion californicum Banks, 1904 – Canada, United StatesTheridion cheimatos Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – United StatesTheridion cruciferum Urquhart, 1886 – New ZealandTheridion cuspulatum Schmidt & Krause, 1998 – Cape VerdeTheridion differens Emerton, 1882 – Canada, United StatesTheridion dilutum Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoTheridion elegantissimum Roewer, 1942 – TaiwanTheridion flabelliferum Urquhart, 1887 – New ZealandTheridion flavonotatum Becker, 1879 – United States, Cuba, Turks & CaicosTheridion frondeum Hentz, 1850 – Canada, United States, BahamasTheridion gabardi Simon, 1895 – Sri LankaTheridion glaucescens Becker, 1879 – Canada, United StatesTheridion gracilipes Urquhart, 1889 – New ZealandTheridion grallator Simon, 1900 – HawaiiTheridion incertissimum – French Guiana, BrazilTheridion kawea Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoTheridion lawrencei Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – Canada, United StatesTheridion leechi Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – Canada, United StatesTheridion llano Levi, 1957 – United StatesTheridion logan Levi & Patrick, 2013 – United StatesTheridion longicrure Marples, 1956 – New ZealandTheridion luteitarse Schmidt & Krause, 1995 – Cape VerdeTheridion melanurum Hahn, 1831 – Macaronesia, North Africa, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Middle East. Introduced to Canada, United StatesTheridion michelbacheri Levi, 1957 – United StatesTheridion modestum – Sri LankaTheridion murarium Emerton, 1882 – Canda, United States, MexicoTheridion neomexicanum Banks, 1901 – Canada, United StatesTheridion neshamini Levi, 1957 – United StatesTheridion nodiferum Simon, 1895 – Sri LankaTheridion pennsylvanicum Emerton, 1913 – Canada, United StatesTheridion pictum – North America, Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkemenistan, China, Japan. Introduced to South Africa Theridion porphyreticum Urquhart, 1889 – New ZealandTheridion punctipes Emerton, 1924 – United States, MexicoTheridion punicapunctatum Urquhart, 1891 – New ZealandTheridion quadratum – Sri Lanka, Indonesia Theridion rabuni Chamberlin & Ivie, 1944 – Canada, United States, BahamasTheridion squalidum Urquhart, 1886 – New ZealandTheridion strepitus Peck & Shear, 1987 – GalapagosTheridion submissum Gertsch & Davis, 1936 – United States, Mexico, Bahama Is. JamaicaTheridion teliferum Simon, 1895 – Sri LankaTheridion varians Hahn, 1833 – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China. Introduced to Canada, United StatesTheridion viridanum Urquhart, 1887 – New ZealandTheridion zantholabio Urquhart, 1886 – New ZealandTheridion zonulatum Thorell, 1890 – India, China, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia T. abruptum Simon, 1884 – SudanT. acanthopodum Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaT. accoense Levy, 1985 – IsraelT. acutitarse Simon, 1900 – HawaiiT. adjacens – Mexico to PanamaT. adrianopoli Drensky, 1915 – North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, TurkeyT. aeolium Levi, 1963 – United StatesT. agrarium Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. agreste Nicolet, 1849 – ChileT. agrifoliae Levi, 1957 – Canada, United StatesT. akme Levi, 1959 – PanamaT. akron Levi, 1959 – PanamaT. albidorsum Strand, 1909 – South AfricaT. albidum Banks, 1895 – Canada, United StatesT. albioculum Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. albipes L. Koch, 1878 – Caucasus T. albocinctum Urquhart, 1892 – New ZealandT. albodecoratum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. albolineatum Nicolet, 1849 – ChileT. albolineolatum Caporiacco, 1940 – EthiopiaT. albomaculosum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869 – Sri LankaT. albopictum Thorell, 1898 – MyanmarT. albostriatum – New Guinea, Australia, TongaT. albulum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – PanamaT. amarga Levi, 1967 – Chile, ArgentinaT. amatitlan Levi, 1963 – GuatemalaT. ambiguum Nicolet, 1849 – ChileT. ampascachi Mello-Leitão, 1941 – ArgentinaT. ampliatum Urquhart, 1892 – New ZealandT. angusticeps Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. angustifrons Caporiacco, 1934 – PakistanT. anson Levi, 1967 – Chile T. antillanum Simon, 1894 – CaribbeanT. apiculatum Roewer, 1942 – Australia T. aporum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. apostoli Mello-Leitão, 1945 – ArgentinaT. apulco Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. aragua Levi, 1963 – VenezuelaT. archeri Levi, 1959 – CubaT. argentatulum Roewer, 1942 – New ZealandT. ariel Bellvert & Arnedo, 2021 – HawaiiT. arizonense Levi, 1957 – United StatesT. arsia Zamani & Marusik, 2021 – Iran, KazakhstanT. artum Levi, 1959 – Panama, TrinidadT. aruanum Strand, 1911 – Indonesia T. arushae Caporiacco, 1947 – TanzaniaT. asbolodes Rainbow, 1917 – Australia T. asopi Vanuytven, 2014 – Western and Central Europe, ItalyT. astrigerum Thorell, 1895 – MyanmarT. atratum Thorell, 1877 – Indonesia T. attritum – Australia T. auberti Simon, 1904 – South AfricaT. aulos Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. australe Banks, 1899 – United States, Mexico, CaribbeanT. baccula Thorell, 1887 – MyanmarT. baltasarense Levi, 1963 – Windward Is.T. banksi Berland, 1920 – East AfricaT. barbarae Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. beebei Levi, 1963 – VenezuelaT. bellatulum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. bengalense Sen, Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2011 – IndiaT. bergi Levi, 1963 – Brazil, Paraguay, ArgentinaT. berlandi Roewer, 1942 – SamoaT. bernardi Lecigne, 2017 – PortugalT. betteni Wiehle, 1960 – Europe, TurkeyT. bicruciatum Roewer, 1961 – Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa, EswatiniT. bidepressum Yin, Peng & Zhang, 2005 – ChinaT. biezankoi Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. biforaminum Gao & Zhu, 1993 – ChinaT. biolleyi Banks, 1909 – Costa RicaT. biseriatum Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia T. bisignatum – Brazil, ArgentinaT. bitakum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesT. blaisei Simon, 1909 – VietnamT. boesenbergi Strand, 1904 – Europe, CaucasusT. bolivari Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. bolum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. bomae Schmidt, 1957 – DR CongoT. bosniense Wunderlich, 2011 – Bosnia and HerzegovinaT. botanicum Levi, 1963 – VenezuelaT. brachypus Thorell, 1887 – MyanmarT. bradyanum Strand, 1907 – South AfricaT. brunellii Caporiacco, 1940 – EthiopiaT. brunneonigrum Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. bryantae Roewer, 1951 – MexicoT. bullatum Tullgren, 1910 – TanzaniaT. buxtoni Berland, 1929 – Samoa, French Polynesia, Pitcairn Is. T. cairoense Wunderlich, 2011 – EgyptT. calcynatum Holmberg, 1876 – Venezuela to ArgentinaT. caliban Bellvert & Arnedo, 2021 – HawaiiT. californicum Banks, 1904 – Canada, United StatesT. caliginosum Marples, 1955 – SamoaT. cameronense Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoT. carinatum Yin, Peng & Zhang, 2005 – ChinaT. carpathium Brignoli, 1984 – GreeceT. cassinicola Simon, 1907 – Guinea-BissauT. castaneum Franganillo, 1931 – CubaT. catharina Marples, 1955 – SamoaT. cavipalpus – GuatemalaT. cazieri Levi, 1959 – Bahama Is.T. centrum Levi, 1959 – PanamaT. ceres Bellvert & Arnedo, 2021 – HawaiiT. ceylonicum Dunlop & Jekel, 2009 – Sri LankaT. chacoense Levi, 1963 – BoliviaT. chakinuense Wunderlich, 1995 – TurkmenistanT. chamberlini Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. charitonowi Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. charlati Dierkens, 2016 – French Polynesia T. cheimatos Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – United StatesT. cheni Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. chenzhangfui Lin & Li, 2024 – ChinaT. chihuahua Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. chiriqui Levi, 1959 – PanamaT. choroni Levi, 1963 – VenezuelaT. cinctipes Banks, 1898 – United States, MexicoT. cinereum Thorell, 1875 – Switzerland and Italy to Ukraine and Turkey, Caucasus, Russia,, IranT. circuitum Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaT. circumtextum Simon, 1907 – Guinea-BissauT. climacode Thorell, 1898 – MyanmarT. clivalum Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. cloxum Roberts, 1983 – Seychelles T. clypeatellum Tullgren, 1910 – Ethiopia, Kenya, TanzaniaT. cochise Levi, 1963 – United StatesT. cochrum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. cocosense Strand, 1906 – Costa Rica T. coenosum Thorell, 1887 – MyanmarT. cohni Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. coldeniae Baert & Maelfait, 1986 – GalapagosT. comstocki Berland, 1920 – KenyaT. confusum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – PakistanT. contreras Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. convexellum Roewer, 1942 – Australia T. convexisternum Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. corcyraeum Brignoli, 1984 – Greece T. costaricaense Levi, 1963 – Costa Rica to VenezuelaT. cowlesae Levi, 1957 – United StatesT. coyoacan Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. cruciferum Urquhart, 1886 – New ZealandT. crucum Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. cuspulatum Schmidt & Krause, 1998 – Cape VerdeT. cuyutlan Levi, 1963 – MexicoT. cygneum Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaT. cynicum Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936 – United States, MexicoT. cyprusense Wunderlich, 2011 – Cyprus, IranT. dafnense Levy & Amitai, 1982 – IsraelT. davisorum Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. dayongense Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. decemmaculatum Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia T. decemperlatum – MadagascarT. dedux O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 – South AfricaT. delicatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaT. derhami Simon, 1895 – Sierra Leone, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea T. desertum Ponomarev, 2008 – KazakhstanT. diadematum Chrysanthus, 1963 – New GuineaT. dianiphum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. differens Emerton, 1882 – Canada, United StatesT. dilucidum Simon, 1898 – Costa Rica to Venezuela, CaribbeanT. dilutum Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoT. dividuum Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – United StatesT. dominica Levi, 1963 – Dominican Rep.T. dreisbachi Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. dubium Bradley, 1877 – New GuineaT. dukouense Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. dulcineum Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – United StatesT. durbanicum Lawrence, 1947 – South AfricaT. ecuadorense Levi, 1963 – EcuadorT. electum – MexicoT. elegantissimum Roewer, 1942 – TaiwanT. elevatum Thorell, 1881 – Australia T. elisabethae Roewer, 1951 – MexicoT. elli Sedgwick, 1974 – ChileT. ellicottense Dobyns & Bond, 1996 – United StatesT. emertoni Berland, 1920 – KenyaT. epiense Berland, 1938 – VanuatuT. eremum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. eugeni Roewer, 1942 – Equatorial Guinea T. evexum Keyserling, 1884 – Mexico, Caribbean to BrazilT. excavatum F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – GuatemalaT. exlineae Levi, 1963 – Ecuador, PeruT. expallidatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – Pakistan, IndiaT. falcatum Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaT. familiare O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 – Europe, Caucasus, ChinaT. fastosum Keyserling, 1884 – Ecuador, PeruT. fatuhivaense Berland, 1933 – Marquesas Is.T. femorale Thorell, 1881 – Australia T. femoratissimum Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. ferdinand Bellvert & Arnedo, 2021 – HawaiiT. fernandense Simon, 1907 – Equatorial Guinea T. filum Levi, 1963 – BrazilT. flabelliferum Urquhart, 1887 – New ZealandT. flavonotatum Becker, 1879 – United States, Cuba, Turks & CaicosT. flavoornatum Thorell, 1898 – MyanmarT. fornicatum Simon, 1884 – SudanT. frio Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. frizzellorum Levi, 1963 – Colombia, Ecuador, VenezuelaT. frondeum Hentz, 1850 – Canada, United States, BahamasT. fruticum Simon, 1890 – YemenT. furfuraceum Simon, 1914 – France, Algeria, SyriaT. fuscodecoratum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. fuscomaculatum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. gabardi Simon, 1895 – Sri LankaT. galerum Levi, 1959 – PanamaT. gekkonicum Levy & Amitai, 1982 – IsraelT. geminipunctum Chamberlin, 1924 – United States, MexicoT. genistae Simon, 1873 – MediterraneanT. gertschi Levi, 1959 – United States, MexicoT. gibbum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. giraulti Rainbow, 1916 – Australia T. glaciale Caporiacco, 1934 – Pakistan T. glaucescens Becker, 1879 – Canada, United StatesT. glaucinum Simon, 1881 – Spain, France, AlbaniaT. goodnightorum Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoT. gracilipes Urquhart, 1889 – New ZealandT. grallator Simon, 1900 – HawaiiT. gramineum Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. grammatophorum Simon, 1909 – VietnamT. grandiosum Levi, 1963 – PeruT. grecia Levi, 1959 – Mexico to VenezuelaT. gyirongense Hu & Li, 1987 – ChinaT. hainanense Zhu, 1998 – China T. haleakalense Simon, 1900 – HawaiiT. hannoniae Denis, 1945 – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Madeira, Canary IslandsT. harmsi Wunderlich, 2011 – Portugal, Spain, FranceT. hartmeyeri Simon, 1908 – Australia T. hassleri Levi, 1963 – HispaniolaT. hebridisianum Berland, 1938 – VanuatuT. helena Wunderlich, 2011 – Greece, Cyprus, TurkeyT. helophorum Thorell, 1895 – Indonesia T. hemerobium Simon, 1914 – Canada, United States, Europe, Turkey, Israel, IranT. hermonense Levy, 1991 – Tunisia, Israel, IranT. hewitti Caporiacco, 1949 – EthiopiaT. hidalgo Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoT. hierichonticum Levy & Amitai, 1982 – IsraelT. hispidum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – Mexico, Caribbean to ParaguayT. histrionicum Thorell, 1875 – ItalyT. hondurense Levi, 1959 – HondurasT. hopkinsi Berland, 1929 – SamoaT. hotanense Zhu & Zhou, 1993 – Iran, India, ChinaT. huanuco Levi, 1963 – PeruT. hufengense Tang, Yin & Peng, 2005 – ChinaT. humboldti Levi, 1967 – PeruT. hummeli Schenkel, 1936 – ChinaT. hupingense Yin, 2012 – ChinaT. idiotypum Rainbow, 1917 – Australia T. illecebrosum Simon, 1886 – SenegalT. impegrum Keyserling, 1886 – BrazilT. impressithorax Simon, 1895 – PhilippinesT. incanescens Simon, 1890 – Egypt, YemenT. incertissimum – French Guiana, BrazilT. incertum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – PakistanT. incomtum – GuatemalaT. inconspicuum Thorell, 1898 – MyanmarT. innocuum Thorell, 1875 – Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, ChinaT. inquinatum Thorell, 1878 – Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia T. insignitarse Simon, 1907 – GabonT. intritum – United StatesT. iramon Levi, 1963 – Colombia, EcuadorT. irrugatum Gao & Li, 2014 – ChinaT. ischagosum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesT. isorium Levi, 1963 – PeruT. istokpoga Levi, 1957 – USA to PanamaT. italiense Wunderlich, 1995 – Italy, North Macedonia, RomaniaT. jordanense Levy & Amitai, 1982 – Egypt, Israel, SyriaT. juno Bellvert & Arnedo, 2021 – HawaiiT. kambalum Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesT. karamayense Zhu, 1998 – ChinaT. kauaiense Simon, 1900 – HawaiiT. kawea Levi, 1957 – United States, MexicoT. kibonotense Tullgren, 1910 – TanzaniaT. kiliani Müller & Heimer, 1990 – ColombiaT. kobrooricum Strand, 1911 – Indonesia T. kochi Roewer, 1942 – SamoaT. kraussi Marples, 1957 – FijiT. lacticolor Berland, 1920 – Kenya, Yemen, MadagascarT. laevigatum Blackwall, 1870 – ItalyT. lago Levi, 1963 – EcuadorT. lanceatum Zhang & Zhu, 2007 – ChinaT. lapidicola Kulczyński, 1887 – ItalyT. latisternum Caporiacco, 1934 – PakistanT. lawrencei Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – Canada, United StatesT. leechi Gertsch & Archer, 1942 – Canada, United StatesT. leguiai Chamberlin, 1916 – Colombia, PeruT. leones Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. leucophaeum Simon, 1905 – IndiaT. leve Blackwall, 1877 – SeychellesT. leviorum Gertsch & Riechert, 1976 – United StatesT. liaoyuanense – ChinaT. limatum Tullgren, 1910 – TanzaniaT. limitatum L. Koch, 1872 – Australia T. linaresense Levi, 1963 – ChileT. linzhiense Hu, 2001 – ChinaT. llano Levi, 1957 – United StatesT. logan Levi & Patrick, 2013 – United StatesT. lomirae Roewer, 1938 – New GuineaT. longicrure Marples, 1956 – New ZealandT. longiductum Liu & Peng, 2012 – ChinaT. longihirsutum Strand, 1907 – ChinaT. longioembolia Liu & Peng, 2012 – ChinaT. longipalpum Zhu, 1998 – China, KoreaT. longipedatum Roewer, 1942 – ColombiaT. longipili Seo, 2004 – KoreaT. ludekingi Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia T. ludius Simon, 1880 – Malaysia to Australia, New CaledoniaT. lumabani Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – PhilippinesT. luteitarse Schmidt & Krause, 1995 – Cape VerdeT. macei Simon, 1895 – DR Congo T. machu Levi, 1963 – PeruT. macropora Tang, Yin & Peng, 2006 – ChinaT. macuchi Levi, 1963 – EcuadorT. maculiferum Roewer, 1942 – Tanzania T. magdalenense Müller & Heimer, 1990 – ColombiaT. maindroni Simon, 1905 – IndiaT. makotoi Yoshida, 2009 – JapanT. malagaense Wunderlich, 2011 – Spain, Italy T. manjithar Tikader, 1970 – IndiaT. manonoense Marples, 1955 – SamoaT. maranum Levi, 1963 – VenezuelaT. maron Levi, 1963 – ParaguayT. martini Levi, 1959 – MexicoT. mataafa Marples, 1955 – SamoaT. mauense Caporiacco, 1949 – KenyaT. mauiense Simon, 1900 – HawaiiT. mehlum Roberts, 1983 – Seychelles T. melanoplax Schmidt & Krause, 1996 – Canary IslandsT. melanoprorum Thorell, 1895 – Myanmar