Prodidomidae

{{Short description|Subfamily of spiders}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Long-spinneret ground spiders | image = Eleleis limpopo 308353727 556306923.jpg | image_caption = female ''[[Eleleis limpopo]]'' | image2 = Theuma cedri 306916978 553532011.jpg | image2_caption = female ''[[Theuma cedri]]'' | taxon = Prodidomidae | authority = [[Eugène Simon|Simon]], 1884 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = [[#Genera|24 genera]], 196 species | range_map = Prodidomidae range map.svg | range_map_caption = blue: reported countries ([[World Spider Catalog|WSC]]) green: observation hotspots ([[iNaturalist]]) }}

'''Prodidomidae''' is a family of [[spider]], sometimes called '''long-spinneret ground spiders'''. It was formerly regarded as a subfamily of [[Gnaphosidae]], but was raised to a family in 2022.<ref name=wsc />

Spiders in the family are easily identified by the greatly elongated base of the piriform gland spigots. At least parts of their body are covered with shiny scales or setae. The posterior median eyes are flat and silvery, with a triangular, egg-shaped or irregularly rectangular shape.<ref name=baehr />

==Biology== Spiders in the Prodidomidae are ground dwellers. Most species are nocturnal and hide during the day in litter, but ''Myandra'' species, which are probably [[Ant mimicry|mimicking ants]], seem to be active during the day.<ref name=baehr/> The genus ''Zimiris'' is [[synanthropic]] and thus found throughout the tropics.

==Distribution== Although ''[[Theuma walteri]]'' was described from [[Turkmenistan]] by [[Eugène Simon]], it is suspected that Simon accidentally exchanged its locality with that of ''[[Anagraphis]] [[Anagraphis pallens|pallens]]'' ([[Gnaphosidae]]); then ''T. walteri'' would have been collected in the [[Cape of Good Hope]], while ''A. pallens'' is from Turkmenistan.<ref name=platnick2006 />

==Genera== <gallery mode=packed heights=140px> Spider From Gnaphosidae Family, Aracaju, Brazil a.jpg|''[[Zimiris doriae]]'' Prodidomus rufus 26508821.jpg|''[[Prodidomus rufus]]'' Tricongius mutilatus - Hernan Augusto Iuri - 107774270.jpeg|''[[Tricongius mutilatus]]'' </gallery>

{{as of|2026|1}}, this family includes 24 genera and 196 species:<ref name="wsc" /> {{Div col}} * ''[[Austrodomus]]'' Lawrence, 1947 – [[southern Africa]] * ''[[Brasilomma]]'' Brescovit, Ferreira & Rheims, 2012 – [[Brazil]] * ''[[Caudalia]]'' Alayón, 1980 – [[Cuba]] * ''[[Chileomma]]'' Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 – [[Chile]] * ''[[Chileuma]]'' Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 – [[Chile]] * ''[[Chilongius]]'' Platnick, Shadab & Sorkin, 2005 – [[Chile]] * ''[[Eleleis]]'' Simon, 1893 – southern Africa * ''[[Indiani]]'' Rodrigues, Cizauskas & Lemos, 2020 – [[Brazil]] * ''[[Lygromma]]'' Simon, 1893 – Costa Rica to [[Brazil]], [[Galapagos]] * ''[[Lygrommatoides]]'' Strand, 1918 – [[Japan]] * ''[[Moreno (genus)|Moreno]]'' Mello-Leitão, 1940 – [[Argentina]], [[Chile]] * ''[[Namundra]]'' Platnick & Bird, 2007 – [[Angola]], [[Namibia]], [[South Africa]] * ''[[Neozimiris]]'' Simon, 1903 – [[Bahamas]], [[Colombia]], [[Curaçao]], [[Galapagos]], [[Mexico]], [[Panama]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[United States]], Mexico * ''[[Nopyllus]]'' Ott, 2014 – [[Brazil]] * ''[[Paleotoca]]'' Cizauskas, Zampaulo & Brescovit, 2024 – [[Brazil]] * ''[[Paracymbiomma]]'' Rodrigues, Cizauskas & Rheims, 2018 – [[Brazil]] * ''[[Plutonodomus]]'' Cooke, 1964 – [[Tanzania]] * ''[[Prodidomus]]'' Hentz, 1847 – Mediterranean, Africa, Australia, Asia, Venezuela, [[Hawaii]] * ''[[Purcelliana]]'' Cooke, 1964 – [[Namibia]], [[South Africa]] * ''[[Theuma]]'' Simon, 1893 – Africa, Turkmenistan (?) * ''[[Tivodrassus]]'' Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936 – [[Mexico]] * ''[[Tricongius]]'' Simon, 1893 – [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]] * ''[[Zimirina]]'' Dalmas, 1919 – North Africa, southern Europe, South Africa * ''[[Zimiris]]'' Simon, 1882 – Yemen (Socotra), India. Introduced circumtropical {{Div col end}}

A 2020 [[phylogenetic analysis]] involving 59 species of Prodidominae and 32 [[Outgroup (cladistics)|outgroup]] species did not recover Prodidominae as [[monophyletic]] because ''[[Anagrina]]'' did not arise within the subfamily.<ref name="zjls" /> The study re-established Molycriinae (including genera ''[[Cryptoerithus]]'', ''[[Molycria]]'', ''[[Nomindra]]'', ''[[Wesmaldra]]'', and ''[[Wydundra]]'') as a distinct subfamily in [[Gnaphosidae]], a sister to Prodidominae.<ref name="zjls" />

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="wsc">{{cite web | url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/lsid/urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spiderfam:000081 | title=Family Prodidomidae Simon, 1884 | publisher=World Spider Catalog | doi=10.24436/2 | accessdate=2026-01-22}}</ref> <ref name=baehr>Barbara Baehr: [http://www.australasian-arachnology.org/arachnology/araneae/prodidomidae/ Prodidomidae]</ref> <ref name=platnick2006>Platnick & Baehr 2006</ref> <ref name="zjls">{{cite journal|author1=Rodrigues, Bruno V. B.|author2=Rheims, Cristina A.|title=Phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Prodidominae (Arachnida: Araneae: Gnaphosidae)|year=2020|journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=190|issue=2|pages=654–708|doi=10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa013|url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/190/2/654/5812863|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref> }}

==Bibliography== * Platnick, N.I. & Penney, D. (2004): [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2815 A Revision of the Widespread Spider Genus ''Zimiris'' (Araneae, Prodidomidae)]. ''American Museum Novitates'' '''3450'''. * Platnick, Norman I. & Baehr, Barbara C. (2006): [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/5788 A revision of the Australasian ground spiders of the family Prodidomidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea)]. ''Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History'' '''298''': 1-287. (with keys to subfamilies and genera, and picture)

==External links== * {{inaturalist taxon}}

* [http://www.australasian-arachnology.org/arachnology/araneae/prodidomidae/ Picture of ''Molycria flavipes'']

[[Category:Gnaphosidae]] [[Category:Spider subfamilies]] [[Category:Taxa named by Eugène Simon]]