Dionycha
Clade of spiders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dionycha are a clade of spiders (Araneomorphae:Entelegynae), characterized by the possession of two tarsal claws with tufts of hairs (setae) beside them, which produce strong adhesion, enabling some species to climb glass.[2] The circumscription of the group has varied widely; a 2021 analysis resulted in about 20 families, including Salticidae (jumping spiders), Gnaphosidae (ground spiders), and Clubionidae.[3]
.jpg)
| Dionycha | |
|---|---|
| |
| Marpissa muscosa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Clade: | Entelegynae |
| Clade: | Dionycha |
| Diversity[1] | |
| About 20 families | |
The Dionycha are considered to be a subgroup of the larger RTA clade.[2] Most species hunt their prey instead of building webs.
There are no cribellate members in the Dionycha.[4]
Today it is thought that the reduction of the third claw present in ancestral spiders evolved several times independently,[1] so this alone is not a criterion that defines the clade.
Families
In 2021, a group of several spider taxonomists published a major study of the phylogeny of Dionycha, using genetic and phenotypic data. It included the families listed below:[3]
- Dionycha
- Prodidomidae
- Dionycha A clade
- Dionycha B clade