Key for family identification of Spiders

1. FAMILY ARANEIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to large araneomorph spiders, three tarsal claws, ecribellate,
entelegyne; eight eyes in two rows with lateral eyes widely separated from median eyes;
labium rebordered; abdomen globose, overhanging the carapace; legs usually with numerous
spines and sustentaculum on tarsus IV; male palp with mesal cymbium, median apophysis and
radix in the embolic division; an orb web with a sticky spiral, or a modification of such a web, is
constructed.74

2. FAMILY CLUBIONIDAE

Diagnostic characters : Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws with
dense claw tufts; ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; anterior spinnerets close together, not
heavily sclerotized; median spinnerets cylindrical in both sexes; cylindrical gland spigots absent;
anterior lateral spinnerets larger in males than in females with large piriforms.94

3. FAMILY LINYPHIIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Very small to small araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne, eight eyes; recognised by: absence of comb on tarsi IV; slender legs, provided with
setae, especially on tibiae and metatarsi; tarsi cylindrical; labium rebordered; chelicerae usually
with stridulating file; numerous teeth, mostly three or four, on fang furrow; autospasy at
patella/tibia joint; male palp with often U-shaped intersegmental paracymbium.152

4. FAMILY LYCOSIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to very large araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne; eyes in three rows (4:2:2); male palp almost always without retrolateral tibial
apophysis; female carries egg-sac attached to spinnerets.158

5. FAMILY MITURGIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to very large araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne, eight eyes; three pairs of weak spines on ventral tibiae I, II of females; posterior
spinnerets two-seg

mented, distal segment long or short; spigots only apical on posterior median spinnerets of
females; males lack tibial crack; grate-shaped tapetum.174
 6. FAMILY HERSILIIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;
ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; posterior spinnerets long and slender with apical segment
strongly tapering; carapace ovoid and flattened; eyes on tubercles.134

7. FAMILY GNAPHOSIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium sized araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws;
ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes, posterior median ones flattened; endites obliquely
depressed; anterior spinnerets parallel, large, cylindrical and usually well separated, without
distal ring; their piriform gland spigots greatly enlarged, with flattened base and shaft and a slit-
like opening.128

8. FAMILY PHOLCIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Very small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;
ecribellate; haplogyne; six or eight eyes; clypeus about as high as chelicerae; legs usually very
long with pseudosegmented tarsi; chelicerae fused, with lamina, modified in males; male palp
with conspicuous procursus (retrolateral paracymbium).206

9. FAMILY SALTICIDAE

Diagnostic characters Small to large araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne; eight eyes; carapace squarefronted with four, forwardly directed eyes of which the
anterior median eyes are very large.220

10. FAMILY SPARASSIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Medium-sized to very large araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws;
ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; laterigrade legs; soft trilobate membranes at apex of
metatarsi; cheliceral margin with teeth.232

11. FAMILY THOMISIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to large araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne; eight eyes; legs laterigrade with I and II usually longer than III and IV (except
Bominae); lateral eyes usually on tubercles; morphologically a very diverse group.258
 12. FAMILY THERIDIIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;

ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; tarsi IV with a row of lightly curved, serrated bristles; labium
not rebordered; legs with no or few spines; modified, aggregate silk glands present; male palpal
tibia distally widened; no paracymbium; sticky silk is used to wrap prey.254

13. FAMILY TETRAGNATHIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to very large araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne or secondary haplogyne; eight eyes; male genitalia comparatively simple, with large
paracymbium and often several cymbial processes, conductor and embolus coiled apically;
median apophysis absent.250

14. FAMILY ZODARIIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to large araneomorph spiders with an enormous variation of

shapes; three tarsal claws with teeth on paired tarsal claws implanted on lateral side facing
opposing claw; ecribellate; entelegyne; six or eight eyes; serrula absent; cheliceral fangs very
short; anterior lateral spinnerets long; posterior spinnerets reduced.268

15. FAMILY ULOBORIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;

cribellate; entelegyne; four or eight eyes; metatarsi IV dorsally compressed and curved under
uniseriate calamistrum; femora with rows of long trichobothria; venom glands absent; male
palp with two apical setae.266

16. FAMILY OXYOPIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to large araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; ecribellate;
entelegyne; eight eyes; clypeus wide; setae prominent on legs; trochanters notched; tapetum
grate-like.194

17. FAMILY OECOBIIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;

cribellate and ecribellate genera; entelegyne; six or eight eyes; anal tubercle large, two-
segmented with a double fringe of curved setae.188
 18. FAMILY ERESIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to large araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws; cribellate;
entelegyne; eight eyes; carapace convex, rectangular; median eyes situated close together,
with lateral eyes widely spaced; body usually clothed in a dense layer of short plumose
setae.122

19. FAMILY CORINNIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws;

ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; with distinct claw tufts; anterior spinnerets close together;
median spinnerets of females with three and posterior spinnerets with two large cylindrical
gland spigots or a few more in Trachelinae; bulbus of male palp usually without median
apophysis; abdomen with a strong tendency towards sclerotization, especially in booklung
region; many species are ant-like in appearance.96

20. FAMILY PHILODROMIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; two tarsal claws;

ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes; legs laterigrade and slender with distinct claw tufts and
scopulae; chelicerae lack teeth; secondary eyes lack a tapetum.204

21. FAMILY SCYTODIDAE

Diagnostic characters: Small to medium-sized araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;

ecribellate; haplogyne; six eyes in three diads; domed thoracic region contains prosomal glands
that produce gluey silk; legs long and slender; body decorated with symmetrical dark
pattern.222

22. Pisauridae

Diagnostic characters Medium-sized to very large araneomorph spiders; three tarsal claws;
ecribellate; entelegyne; eight eyes some of which on shallow tubercles; abdomen
elongated, tapering towards back; tarsi with pseudosegment; trochanters deeply notched.
Egg-case carried in the chelicerae.212