Micaria

Micaria is a genus of ground spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1851.^[7] They are 1.3 to 6.5 millimetres (0.051 to 0.256 in) long.^[8]

Phylum:Arthropoda

Subphylum:Chelicerata

Class:Arachnida

Order:Araneae

Quick facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

Micaria Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

female Micaria sp.

male M. beaufortia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Gnaphosidae
Genus:	Micaria Westring, 1851^[1]
Type species
M. fulgens (Walckenaer, 1802)
Species
127, see text
Synonyms^[1]
Arboricaria Bosmans, 2000^[2]^[3] Castanilla Caporiacco, 1936^[4] Epikurtomma Tucker, 1923>^[5] Micariolepis Simon, 1879^[6]

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They are often called "ant spiders" due to their ant-like appearance and ant mimicking behavior.^[9]

Distribution

Spiders in this genus are found in the Holarctic, Indomalayan, Australasian and Afrotropical zoogeographic regions.^[1]

Species

As of September 2025^[update] the genus contains 127 species and two subspecies.^[1]

These species have articles on Wikipedia:

Micaria beaufortia (Tucker, 1923) – Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho
Micaria chrysis (Simon, 1910) – Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho
Micaria dives (Lucas, 1846) – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, Japan
Micaria gertschi Barrows & Ivie, 1942 – Canada, United States
Micaria longipes Emerton, 1890 – Canada, United States, Mexico
Micaria longispina Emerton, 1911 – Canada, United States
Micaria pasadena Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States, Mexico
Micaria pulicaria (Sundevall, 1831) – Europe, Georgia, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Alaska, Canada, United States
Micaria rossica Thorell, 1875 – Alaska, Canada, United States, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, Mongolia, China
Micaria tersissima Simon, 1910 – South Africa

Micaria fulgens
M. micans
M. tersissima
M. pulicaria

More information Complete species list as of September 2025[update] ...

Complete species list as of September 2025

Micaria aborigenica Mikhailov, 1988 – Russia (north-eastern Siberia)
Micaria aciculata Simon, 1895 – Russia (South Siberia)
Micaria aenea Thorell, 1871 – Alaska, Canada, United States, Europe, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan
Micaria albofasciata Hu, 2001 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria albovittata (Lucas, 1846) – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Central Asia), Iran, Turkmenistan, China?
Micaria alpina L. Koch, 1872 – Alaska, Canada, Europe, Russia (Europe to Far East), Japan
Micaria atropatene Zamani & Marusik, 2021 – Azerbaijan, Iran
Micaria basaliducta Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria beaufortia (Tucker, 1923) – Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho
Micaria belezma Bosmans, 2000 – Algeria
Micaria bimaculata Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Mauritania
Micaria bispicula Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Namibia, South Africa
Micaria bonneti Schenkel, 1963 – Mongolia, China
Micaria bosmansi Kovblyuk & Nadolny, 2008 – Turkey, Ukraine, Russia (Europe, Caucasus)
Micaria braendegaardi Denis, 1958 – Afghanistan
Micaria brignolii (Bosmans & Blick, 2000) – Portugal, Spain, France
Micaria browni Barnes, 1953 – United States
Micaria camargo Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – Mexico
Micaria capistrano Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States, Mexico
Micaria charitonovi Mikhailov & Ponomarev, 2008 – Kazakhstan
Micaria chrysis (Simon, 1910) – Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho
Micaria cimarron Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States
Micaria ciri Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria coarctata (Lucas, 1846) – Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Micaria coloradensis Banks, 1896 – Alaska, Canada, United States
Micaria constricta Emerton, 1894 – Canada, United States, Svalbard, Russia (Northern Europe to Middle Siberia)
Micaria corvina Simon, 1878 – Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel
Micaria croesia L. Koch, 1873 – Australia (New South Wales)
Micaria cyrnea Brignoli, 1983 – France (Corsica), Italy, Greece
Micaria delicatula Bryant, 1941 – United States
Micaria deserticola Gertsch, 1933 – United States, Mexico
Micaria dives (Lucas, 1846) – Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Israel, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, Japan
- Micaria dives concolor (Caporiacco, 1935) – Pakistan (Karakorum)
Micaria donensis Ponomarev & Tsvetkov, 2006 – Ukraine, Russia (Europe)
Micaria durbana Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Zambia, South Africa
Micaria elizabethae Gertsch, 1942 – Canada, United States
Micaria emertoni Gertsch, 1935 – Canada, United States, Mexico
Micaria everest Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria faltana Bhattacharya, 1935 – India
Micaria felix Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa
Micaria formicaria (Sundevall, 1831) – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Iran, Kazakhstan, China
Micaria foxi Gertsch, 1933 – Canada, United States
Micaria fulgens (Walckenaer, 1802) – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China (type species)
Micaria funerea Simon, 1878 – Spain, France (Corsica), Bulgaria, Russia (Caucasus)
Micaria gagnoa Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Mozambique
Micaria galilaea Levy, 2009 – Israel
Micaria ganzi Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China
Micaria geralt Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria gertschi Barrows & Ivie, 1942 – Canada, United States
Micaria gomerae Strand, 1911 – Canary Islands
Micaria gosiuta Gertsch, 1942 – United States, Mexico
Micaria gulliae Tuneva & Esyunin, 2003 – Russia (Europe), Kazakhstan
Micaria guttigera Simon, 1878 – Portugal, Spain, France
Micaria guttulata (C. L. Koch, 1839) – Europe, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
Micaria icenoglei Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States
Micaria idana Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – Canada, United States
Micaria ignea O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 – Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Yemen, Israel, Syria, Azerbaijan, Iran, Central Asia
Micaria imperiosa Gertsch, 1935 – United States, Mexico
Micaria inornata L. Koch, 1873 – Australia
Micaria japonica Hayashi, 1985 – Russia (Far East), Korea, Japan
Micaria jeanae Gertsch, 1942 – United States, Mexico
Micaria jinlin Song, Zhu & Zhang, 2004 – China
Micaria koingnaas Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria kopetdaghensis Mikhailov, 1986 – Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan
Micaria langtry Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States
Micaria lassena Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States
Micaria lata Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Namibia, South Africa
Micaria laticeps Emerton, 1909 – Canada, United States
Micaria laxa Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria lenzi Bösenberg, 1899 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South and north-eastern Siberia), Iran, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China
Micaria lindbergi Roewer, 1962 – Afghanistan
Micaria longimana Suzuki, 2022 – China, Japan (Ryukyu Is.)
Micaria longipes Emerton, 1890 – Canada, United States, Mexico
Micaria longispina Emerton, 1911 – Canada, United States
Micaria marchesii (Caporiacco, 1936) – Libya
Micaria marusiki Zhang, Song & Zhu, 2001 – China
Micaria medica Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – Canada, United States
Micaria mediospina Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria mexicana Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – Mexico
Micaria micans (Blackwall, 1858) – Europe, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China
Micaria mongunica Danilov, 1997 – Russia (South Siberia)
Micaria mormon Gertsch, 1935 – Canada, United States, Mexico
Micaria nanella Gertsch, 1935 – United States, Mexico
Micaria nivosa L. Koch, 1866 – Europe, Russia (Europe to South Siberia), Kazakhstan, China
Micaria nye Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States, Mexico
Micaria otero Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States, Mexico
Micaria pallens Denis, 1958 – Afghanistan
Micaria palliditarsus Banks, 1896 – United States, Mexico
Micaria pallipes (Lucas, 1846) – Azores, Madeira, Mediterranean, Russia (Europe), Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, China
Micaria palma Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States
Micaria palmgreni Wunderlich, 1980 – Finland
Micaria paralbofasciata Song, Zhu & Zhang, 2004 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria parvotibialis Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Senegal
Micaria pasadena Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – United States, Mexico
Micaria plana Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Ethiopia
Micaria porta Platnick & Shadab, 1988 – Canada, United States
Micaria pulcherrima Caporiacco, 1935 – Pakistan, India, Russia (South Siberia), China, Korea
- Micaria pulcherrima flava Caporiacco, 1935 – Pakistan (Karakorum)
Micaria pulicaria (Sundevall, 1831) – Europe, Georgia, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Alaska, Canada, United States
Micaria punctata Banks, 1896 – United States
Micaria quadrata Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Ethiopia
Micaria quinquemaculosa Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Namibia, South Africa
Micaria riggsi Gertsch, 1942 – Canada, United States
Micaria rivonosy Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – Madagascar
Micaria rossica Thorell, 1875 – Alaska, Canada, United States, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to Far East), Kazakhstan, Iran, Central Asia, Mongolia, China
Micaria sanipass Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria scutellata Booysen & Haddad, 2021 – South Africa
Micaria seminola Gertsch, 1942 – United States
Micaria seymuria Tuneva, 2004 – Kazakhstan
Micaria silesiaca L. Koch, 1875 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe to South Siberia)
Micaria siniloana Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines
Micaria sociabilis Kulczyński, 1897 – Europe, Turkey, Caucasus (Russia, Azerbaijan)
Micaria subopaca Westring, 1861 – Europe, Russia (Europe to South Siberia, Kamchatka), Georgia, Iran
Micaria tarabaevi Mikhailov, 1988 – Kazakhstan
Micaria tersissima Simon, 1910 – South Africa
Micaria triangulosa Gertsch, 1935 – United States
Micaria triguttata Simon, 1884 – Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria
Micaria tripunctata Holm, 1978 – Northern Europe, Italy (Alps), Russia (Europe to Far East), China, Alaska, Canada
Micaria tuvensis Danilov, 1993 – Russia (Central Asia, South Siberia), Kazakhstan, China
Micaria utahna Gertsch, 1933 – Canada, United States
Micaria vinnula Gertsch & Davis, 1936 – United States
Micaria violens Oliger, 1983 – Russia (Far East)
Micaria xinglongi Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria xizang Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria ya Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China
Micaria yeniseica Marusik & Koponen, 2002 – Russia (Middle Siberia, Kamchatka)
Micaria yeti Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria yunshani Liu & Zhang, 2025 – China (Himalaya)
Micaria zonsteini (Mikhailov, 2016) – Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan

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Distribution

Species

References

External links

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