Corinnidae

Corinnid sac spiders
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Copa flavoplumosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Corinnidae
Karsch, 1880
Diversity
71 genera, 800 species

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 smaller. The original members of the family are apparently similar only in that they have eight eyes arranged in two rows, conical anterior spinnerets that touch and are generally wandering predators that build silken retreats, or sacs, usually on plant terminals, between leaves, under bark or under rocks.[citation needed]

In 2014, Martín Ramírez recognized the family in a restricted sense, including only the subfamilies Corinninae and Castianeirinae.[1] Two former subfamilies of the Corinnidae are now treated as separate families, Phrurolithidae and Trachelidae. As now recognized, Corinnidae contains 71 genera and over 800 species worldwide.[2]

Members of the genus Castianeira appear to be mimics of ants and velvet ants. Other corinnid ant-like genera include Mazax, Myrmecium and Myrmecotypus. Corinna is the type genus for the family and consists of small running spiders.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rami14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference NMBE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).