Theridion is a genus of tangle-web spiders with a worldwide distribution.[1] Notable species are the Hawaiian happy face spider (T. grallator), named for the iconic symbol on its abdomen, and T. nigroannulatum, one of few spider species that lives in social groups, attacking prey en masse to overwhelm them as a team.
Spiders in this genus are about as long or longer than they are wide. Their chelicerae have two or less teeth on the front edge and none on the back edge. The front leg is the longest in both genders, but the next longest is the second leg in males and the fourth leg in females. The epigyne can vary, but the pedipalp has a median apophysis and a colulus is absent from both genders.[2] In several species, the males have mastidia (projections) on the chelicerae.[3]
Theridion has the anterior eye row slightly curved and with a gap between it and the posterior eye row. This distinguishes it from Enoplognatha, another theridiid genus in which the anterior eye row is almost straight and the gap between eye rows is very small.[3]
Ecology
Theridion build tangle webs, usually under leaves and among vegetation. At night, spiders hang upside-down in these webs. During the day, they hide close by their webs.[4]
Philodromus cespitum, a species of running crab spider, preys on Theridion spiders in European fruit orchards.[5]
Mating
Mating behaviour has been studied in several Theridion species. It involves pseudocopulation, numerous sperm inductions and copulatory sequences. The male approaches the female to mate, usually in the latter's retreat (a hood-shaped part of the web where the female lives in). Male Theridion perform contralateral insertions, inserting their left palp into the female's right introductory duct and vice versa for the right palp. Female Theridion are less aggressive after mating compared to other genera of theridiids.[6]
Species
As of October 2025[update], this genus includes 572 species and three subspecies.[1] However, the genus has traditionally been assigned species that lack a colulus and did not fit into other genera (wastebasket taxon).[4][7] New species continue to be described on a regular basis.[4][7]
Theridion melanurum Hahn, 1831 – Macaronesia, North Africa, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Middle Siberia), Middle East. Introduced to Canada, United States
Theridion pictum (Walckenaer, 1802) – North America, Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Turkemenistan, China, Japan. Introduced to South Africa (type species)
Theridion varians Hahn, 1833 – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China. Introduced to Canada, United States
T. malagaense Wunderlich, 2011 – Spain, Italy (Sardinia)
T. manjithar Tikader, 1970 – India
T. manonoense Marples, 1955 – Samoa
T. maranum Levi, 1963 – Venezuela
T. maron Levi, 1963 – Paraguay
T. martini Levi, 1959 – Mexico
T. mataafa Marples, 1955 – Samoa
T. mauense Caporiacco, 1949 – Kenya
T. mauiense Simon, 1900 – Hawaii
T. mehlum Roberts, 1983 – Seychelles (Aldabra)
T. melanoplax Schmidt & Krause, 1996 – Canary Islands
T. melanoprorum Thorell, 1895 – Myanmar
T. m. orientale Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
T. melanostictum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 – Macaronesia, Mediterranean to Egypt, India, Central Asia, China, Japan. Introduced to Canada, United States, Panama, Galapagos, Poland, St. Helena, Society Is.
T. melanurum Hahn, 1831 – Macaronesia, North Africa, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Middle Siberia), Middle East. Introduced to Canada, United States
T. petraeum L. Koch, 1872 – North America, Europe, Morocco, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan
T. petrunkevitchi Berland, 1920 – Kenya
T. phaeostomum Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
T. pictum (Walckenaer, 1802) – North America, Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Turkemenistan, China, Japan. Introduced to South Africa (type species)
T. pierre Levi & Patrick, 2013 – United States
T. pigrum Keyserling, 1886 – Brazil
T. pilatum Urquhart, 1893 – Australia (Tasmania)
T. pinastri L. Koch, 1872 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, China, Korea, Japan
T. pinguiculum Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
T. pinicola Simon, 1873 – Spain, France (Corsica), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
T. pires Levi, 1963 – Brazil
T. piriforme Berland, 1938 – Vanuatu
T. plaumanni Levi, 1963 – Venezuela, Brazil
T. plectile Simon, 1909 – Vietnam
T. plumipes van Hasselt, 1882 – Indonesia (Sumatra)
T. theridioides (Keyserling, 1890) – China, Australia (Queensland, New South Wales)
T. thorelli L. Koch, 1865 – Australia (New South Wales)
T. timpanogos Levi, 1957 – United States
T. tinctorium Keyserling, 1891 – Brazil
T. todinum Simon, 1880 – New Caledonia
T. topo Levi, 1963 – Ecuador
T. torosum Keyserling, 1884 – Peru
T. trahax Blackwall, 1866 – south-east equatorial Africa
T. transgressum Petrunkevitch, 1911 – United States, Mexico
T. trepidum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – Mexico to Panama
T. trifile Simon, 1907 – Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania
T. trigonicum Thorell, 1890 – Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)
T. tristani Levi, 1959 – Costa Rica
T. triviale Thorell, 1881 – Australia
T. trizonatum Caporiacco, 1949 – Kenya
T. tubicola Doleschall, 1859 – Indonesia (Java, Moluccas), New Guinea
T. turanicum Charitonov, 1946 – Uzbekistan
T. turrialba Levi, 1959 – Costa Rica
T. uber Keyserling, 1884 – Brazil
T. uhligi Martin, 1974 – France to Russia (Europe)
T. umbilicus Levi, 1963 – Brazil
T. uncatum F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 – Mexico
T. undatum Zhu, 1998 – China
T. undulanotum Roewer, 1942 – Vanuatu
T. urnigerum Thorell, 1898 – Myanmar
T. ursoi Caporiacco, 1947 – Ethiopia
T. urucum Levi, 1963 – Brazil
T. usitum Strand, 1913 – DR Congo
T. utcuyacu Levi, 1963 – Peru
T. valleculum Levi, 1959 – Panama
T. vallisalinarum Levy & Amitai, 1982 – Israel
T. vanhoeffeni Strand, 1909 – South Africa
T. varians Hahn, 1833 – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China. Introduced to Canada, United States
T. v. cyrenaicum Caporiacco, 1933 – Libya
T. v. rusticum Simon, 1873 – France, Italy
T. ventricosum Rainbow, 1916 – Australia (Queensland)
↑Michalko, Radek; Dvoryankina, Viktoriya (1 June 2019). "Intraspecific phenotypic variation in functional traits of a generalist predator in an agricultural landscape". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 278: 35–42. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2019.03.018.
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External links
{{Inaturalist taxon}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.
female T. delicatum
T. purcelli with egg sac
T. varians
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