Ant spiders are members of the family Zodariidae. They are small to medium-sized eight-eyed spiders found in all tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, Arabia, and the Indian subcontinent.

Most species are daytime hunters and live together with ants, mimicking their behavior and sometimes even their chemical traits. Although little is known about most zodariids, members of the genus Zodarion apparently feed only on ants; a number of other genera in the family are apparently also ant (or termite) specialists.

Genera

, this family includes ninety genera and 1,325 species:

Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966 – Africa, Asia Akyttara Jocqué, 1987 – Africa, Vietnam Amphiledorus Jocqué & Bosmans, 2001 – Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain Antillorena Jocqué, 1991 – Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia Asceua Thorell, 1887 – Africa, Asia, Australia Aschema Jocqué, 1991 – Madagascar Asteron Jocqué, 1991 – Australia Australutica Jocqué, 1995 – South Africa, Australia Ballomma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015 – South Africa Basasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia Caesetius Simon, 1893 – Southern Africa Cambonilla Jocqué, 2019 – Cambodia, Laos Capheris Simon, 1893 – Africa, India Cavasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000 – Australia Chariobas Simon, 1893 – Africa Chilumena Jocqué, 1995 – Australia Cicynethus Simon, 1910 – Southern Africa Colimarena Jocqué & Baert, 2021 – Mexico Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872 – Indonesia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Oceania Cybaeodamus Mello-Leitão, 1938 – South America Cydrela Thorell, 1873 – Africa, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen Cyrioctea Simon, 1889 – Namibia, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile Diores Simon, 1893 – Africa Dusmadiores Jocqué, 1987 – Tanzania, Uganda, Western Africa, Yemen Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 – Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana Euasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia Euryeidon Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004 – China, Thailand Forsterella Jocqué, 1991 – New Zealand Habronestes L. Koch, 1872 – Australia Heliconilla Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 – China, Southeast Asia Heradida Simon, 1893 – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa Heradion Dankittipakul & Jocqué, 2004 – China, Southeast Asia Hermippus Simon, 1893 – Africa, India, Sri Lanka Hetaerica Rainbow, 1916 – Australia Holasteron Baehr, 2004 – Australia Indozodion Ovtchinnikov, 2006 – Afghanistan, Pakistan Ishania Chamberlin, 1925 – Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Lachesana Strand, 1932 – Egypt, Asia, Cyprus, Greece Laminion Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020 – India Leprolochus Simon, 1893 – Trinidad, Panama, South America Leptasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia Leviola Miller, 1970 – Angola Lutica Marx, 1891 – United States Malayozodarion Ono & Hashim, 2008 – Malaysia Mallinella Strand, 1906 – Africa, Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands Mallinus Simon, 1893 – South Africa Masasteron Baehr, 2004 – Australia Mastidiores Jocqué, 1987 – Kenya Microdiores Jocqué, 1987 – Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania Minasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2000 – Australia Murphydrela Jocqué & Russell-Smith, 2022 – Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eastern Africa Neostorena Rainbow, 1914 – Australia Nostera Jocqué, 1991 – Australia Nosterella Baehr & Jocqué, 2017 – Australia Notasteron Baehr, 2005 – Australia Omucukia Koçak & Kemal, 2008 – Madagascar Palaestina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece Palfuria Simon, 1910 – Africa Palindroma Jocqué & Henrard, 2015 – DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania Parazodarion Ovtchinnikov, Ahmad & Gurko, 2009 – Asia Pax Levy, 1990 – Western Asia Pentasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia Phenasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia Platnickia Jocqué, 1991 – Argentina, Chile Procydrela Jocqué, 1999 – South Africa Psammoduon Jocqué, 1991 – Namibia, South Africa Psammorygma Jocqué, 1991 – Namibia, South Africa Pseudasteron Jocqué & Baehr, 2001 – Australia Ranops Jocqué, 1991 – Tanzania, Southern Africa Rotundrela Jocqué, 1999 – South Africa Selamia Simon, 1873 – Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Western Mediterranean Spinasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia Spinozodium Zamani & Marusik, 2022 – Tajikistan Storena Walckenaer, 1805 – Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Vanuatu, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela Storenomorpha Simon, 1884 – China, Southeast Asia, India Storosa Jocqué, 1991 – Australia Subasteron Baehr & Jocqué, 2001 – Australia Suffascar Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 – Madagascar Suffasia Jocqué, 1991 – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015 – Kenya, Tanzania Systenoplacis Simon, 1907 – Africa Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 – Central America, South America Thaumastochilus Simon, 1897 – South Africa Tropasteron Baehr, 2003 – Australia Tropizodium Jocqué & Churchill, 2005 – China, Thailand, India, Nepal, Hawaii, Australia, French Polynesia, Bali. Introduced to Réunion Trygetus Simon, 1882 – Djibouti, Egypt, Morocco, Asia Workmania Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 – Southeast Asia Zillimata Jocqué, 1995 – Australia Zodariellum Andreeva & Tystshenko, 1968 – Asia, Russia, Tadjikistan Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826 – North Africa, Asia, Europe, United States

See also Myrmarachne, a genus of ant-mimicking spiders in the family Salticidae

References

External links