Dionycha

For the plant genus, see Dionycha (plant).

Dionycha
Marpissa muscosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Clade: Entelegynae
Clade: Dionycha
Diversity[1]
About 20 families

The Dionycha are a clade of spiders (Araneomorphae:Entelegynae), characterized by the possession of two tarsal claws with tufts of hairs (setae) beside them, which produce strong adhesion, enabling some species to climb glass.[2] The circumscription of the group has varied widely; a 2021 analysis resulted in about 20 families, including Salticidae (jumping spiders), Gnaphosidae (ground spiders), and Clubionidae.[3]

The Dionycha are considered to be a subgroup of the larger RTA clade.[2] Most species hunt their prey instead of building webs.

There are no cribellate members in the Dionycha.[4]

Today it is thought that the reduction of the third claw present in ancestral spiders evolved several times independently,[1] so this alone is not a criterion that defines the clade.

  1. ^ a b Ramírez (2014).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GarrRodrAgnaCodd15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Azevedo2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Griswold et al. 1999