Common Spiders of North America Book

Preface and Acknowledgments ix

Finding, Studying, and Identifying Spiders 1

Spiders: an Introduction 3

Finding and Studying Spiders 17

Identifying Spiders 25

Keys to Families within Groups 41

Under Debris Group 41

Space-filling Web Group 42

Sheet Weavers Group 44

Orb-shaped Web Group 44

Funnel-shaped Web Group 48

Six-eyed Spiders Group 51

Jumping Spiders Group 52

Crablike Spiders Group 52

Surface Hunters Group 53

Ground Hunters Group 54

Foliage Hunters Group 56

Mygalomorph Group 57

Tiny Spiders Group 59

Spider Accounts 61

Family Agelenidae: funnel weavers 65

Family Amaurobiidae: hackledmesh weavers 69

Family Amphinectidae: amphinectids 71

Family Anapidae: ground orbweavers 72

Family Antrodiaetidae: foldingdoor trapdoor spiders 72

Family Anyphaenidae: ghost spiders 74

Family Araneidae: orbweavers 76

Family Atypidae: purseweb spiders 102

Family Caponiidae: bright lungless spiders 104

Family Clubionidae: sac spiders 104

Family Corinnidae: antmimic spiders 106

Family Ctenidae: wandering spiders 110

Family Ctenizidae: trapdoor spiders 111

Family Cybaeidae: soft spiders 112

Family Cyrtaucheniidae: waferlid trapdoor spiders 113

Family Deinopidae: ogrefaced spiders 114

Family Desidae: desids 115

Family Dictynidae: meshweavers 116

Family Diguetidae: desertshrub spiders 121

Family Dipluridae: funnelweb spiders 122

Family Dysderidae: woodlouse spiders 123

Family Filistatidae: crevice weavers 124

Family Gnaphosidae: stealthy ground spiders 125

Family Hahniidae: combtailed spiders 133

Family Hersiliidae: longspinneret spiders 134

Family Homalonychidae: dusty desert spiders 135

Family Hypochilidae: lampshade weavers 136

Family Leptonetidae: midget cave spiders 136

Family Linyphiidae: sheetweb weavers 137

Family Liocranidae: spinylegged sac spiders 146

Family Lycosidae: wolf spiders 147

Family Mecicobothriidae: midget funnelweb tarantulas 164

Family Mimetidae: pirate spiders 165

Family Miturgidae: prowling spiders 166

Family Mysmenidae: dwarf cobweb weavers 168

Family Nemesiidae: wishbone spiders 168

Family Nesticidae: cave cobweb spiders 169

Family Ochyroceratidae: midget ground weavers 170

Family Oecobhdae: flatmesh weavers 170

Family Oonopidae: goblin spiders 171

Family Oxydpidae: lynx spiders 172

Family Philodromidae: running crab spiders 174

Family Pholcidae: cellar spiders 176

Family Pimoidae: large hammockweb spiders 179

Family Pisauridae: nursery web spiders 180

Family Plectreuridae: spurlipped spiders 183

Family Prodidomidae: prodidomids 183

Family Salticidae: jumping spiders 184

Family Scytodidae: spitting spiders 206

Family Segestriidae: tubeweb spiders 207

Family Selenopidae: flatties 208

Family Sicariidae: sixeyed brown spiders 209

Family Sparassidae: huntsman spiders 211

Family Symphytognathidae: dwarf orbweavers 212

Family Telemidae: longlegged cave spiders 213

Family Tengellidae: tengellids 214

Family Tetragnathidae: longjawed: orbweavers 215

Family Theraphosidae: tarantulas: 221

Family Theridiidae: cobweb weavers 223

Family Theridiosomatidae: ray orbweavers 237

Family Thomisidae: crab spiders 237

Family Titanoecidae: rock weavers 243

Family Trechaleidae: longlegged water spiders 244

Family Uloboridae: hackled orbweavers 245

Family Zodariidae: zodariids 248

Family Zoridae: zorids 249

Family Zorocratidae: zorocratids 249

Family Zoropsidae: zoropsids 250

Glossary 251

References 257

Index 261