World Spider Catalog

Gnaphosidae Banks, 1892

Family | ACCEPTED

N.B.: the names Gnaphosae and Gnaphosi were used firstly at tribe level by Banks, 1892d: 92, 94 and thus Banks, 1892 is the valid authorship and year for the family, not Pocock, 1898c: 219; for the family name Drassidae Sundevall, 1833 see Simon, 1893a: 340 and Bonnet, 1956: 1554. Family relimited by Platnick, 1990a: 35 and Azevedo, Griswold & Santos, 2018b: 612; most genera listed by Brignoli, 1983c under Micariinae are treated here under Corinnidae and Phrurolithidae. Prodidomidae revalidated by Platnick, 1990a: 36 to include the former Prodidominae, Molycriinae and Anagraphidinae; Anagraphidinae transferred from Prodidomidae to Gnaphosidae by Platnick & Baehr, 2006: 5; Prodidomidae downgraded to subfamily of Gnaphosidae by Azevedo, Griswold & Santos, 2018b: 613 (synonyms: Molycriinae Simon, 1897 and Theuminae Simon, 1893), redefined by Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020b: 694 and elevated to familiy rank again by Azevedo et al., 2022: 12 (without Molycriinae); Azevedo, Griswold & Santos, 2018b: 612 distinguish several well definded clades within Gnaphosidae (Gnaphosinae Banks, 1892, Zelotinae Platnick, 1990, Herpyllinae Platnick, 1990, Drassodinae Simon, 1893, Prodidominae Simon, 1884 and Leptodrassinae Azevedo, Griswold & Santos, 2018) and state three monogeneric subfamilies, Anagraphidinae Simon, 1893 (type genus Anagraphis), Echeminae Simon, 1893 (type genus Echemus) and Micariinae Banks, 1892 (type genus Micaria), which do not perform a grouping function; Micaria Westring 1851, Nauhea Forster, 1979 and Verita Ramirez & Grismado, 2015 (and some related genera) are probably not gnaphosids, and many genera are not assigned to a subfamily given their poorly supported and unstable relationships (Azevedo, Griswold & Santos, 2018b: 614); the subfamily Molycriinae Simon, 1897 is re-established by Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020b: 682 (includes Cryptotoerithus, Molycria, Myandra, Nomindra, Wesmaldra and Wydundra); Lin & Li, 2020e: 313 described the new subfamily Solitudinae, with the single genus Solitudes Lin & Li, 2020; Micariidae is regarded as a separate family (sister to Cithaeronidae) by Breitling, 2021: 19, but without listing the genera, which should belong to it, and it is also not accepted because it is based mainly on COI, see FAQ 7; Ammoxenidae (Ammoxenus, Austrammo, Barrowammo, Rastellus) are synonymized with Gnaphosidae by Azevedo et al., 2022: 12; the family is not monophyletic per Kulkarni, Wood & Hormiga, 2023: 520, f. 19.

In synonymy:

Dyction Walckenaer, 1837 = Megamyrmaekion Reuss, 1834 (Simon, 1882b: 257)

Gen. Megamyrmaekion Reuss, 1834 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:02447

type Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834; gender neuter

N.B.: other spellings (such as Megamyrmecion and Megamyrmecium) are unjustified emendations; considered a senior synonym of Dyction Walckenaer, 1837: 380 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:06292] (type D. reuss Walckenaer, 1837 = Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834) by Simon, 1882b: 257; species from outside the Mediterranean are probably misplaced, per Murphy, 2007: 55.

Transferred to other genera:

Megamyrmaekion asceticum Chamberlin, 1924 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion californicum Simon, 1893 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion cambridgei Gertsch & Davis, 1940 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion echemophthalmum Simon, 1908 -- see Encoptarthria

Megamyrmaekion erebum (L. Koch, 1873) -- see Zelanda

Megamyrmaekion gayi Simon, 1904 -- see Echemoides

Megamyrmaekion jodhpurense Gajbe, 1993 -- see Trichothyse

Megamyrmaekion kajalae Biswas & Biswas, 1992 -- see Drassodes

Megamyrmaekion naturalisticum Chamberlin, 1924 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion nesiotes Chamberlin, 1924 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion penicillatum Simon, 1908 -- see Encoptarthria

Megamyrmaekion perpusillum Simon, 1908 -- see Encoptarthria

Megamyrmaekion pessimisticum Chamberlin, 1924 -- see Scopoides

Megamyrmaekion vestigator Simon, 1908 -- see Encoptarthria

In synonymy:

Megamyrmaekion ashae Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 = Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834 (Sankaran & Caleb, 2021: 545)

Megamyrmaekion celer (Schmidt & Piepho, 1994, T from Australoechemus) = Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834 (Truong et al., 2026: 434)

Megamyrmaekion holosericeum Simon, 1882 = Megamyrmaekion vulpinum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Levy, 1999d: 442)

Megamyrmaekion kajalae (Biswas & Biswas, 1992, T from Megamyrmaekion) = Megamyrmaekion luridum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Sankaran & Caleb, 2021: 548, sub Drassodes)

Megamyrmaekion maitraiae (Tikader & Gajbe, 1977, T from Scopoides) = Megamyrmaekion luridum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2019b: 161)

Megamyrmaekion pallescens Denis, 1955 = Megamyrmaekion vulpinum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Levy, 1999d: 442)

Megamyrmaekion pumilum Simon, 1885 = Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834 (Levy, 2009: 14)

Megamyrmaekion reuss (Walckenaer, 1837) = Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834 (Lucas, 1840: 368, sub Dyction)

Megamyrmaekion samarae (Gawande & Bodkhe, 2018, T from Scopoides) = Megamyrmaekion luridum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2019b: 161)

Megamyrmaekion algericum Simon, 1885 | | Algeria, Tunisia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027476

Megamyrmecion algericum Simon, 1885i: 37 (Dm) Original description

Megamyrmaekion algericum Murphy, 2007: 50, f. 362-363 (mf)

Megamyrmaekion austrinum Simon, 1908 | | Australia (Western Australia) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027478

Megamyrmecion austrinum Simon, 1908d: 396, f. 12 (Df) Original description

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834 | | Cape Verde, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Iran, India urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027479 TYPE SPECIES

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Reuss, 1834: 217, pl. 18, f. 12 (Dj) Original description

Dyction reuss Walckenaer, 1837: 380 (D, superfluous new name for Megamyrmaekion caudatum) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:065408]

Dyction caudatum Lucas, 1840: 368 (S of Dyction reuss)

Megamyrmecion pumilum Simon, 1885i: 38 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027486]

Megamyrmecion caudatum Simon, 1893a: 370, f. 325, 330

Megamyrmecium caudatum Bonnet, 1957: 2751 (unjustified emendation)

Megamyrmaekion ashae Tikader & Gajbe, 1977a: 16, f. 2A-E (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027477]

Megamyrmaekion ashae Tikader, 1982b: 372, f. 181-186 (mf)

Australoechemus celer Schmidt & Piepho, in Schmidt, Geisthardt & Piepho, 1994: 103, f. 14-16 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:026674]

Australoechemus celer Schmidt, 1999e: 5, f. 2-3 (Df)

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Levy, 1999d: 442, f. 26, 30-31 (f; m f. 27-29 see Megamyrmaekion hula)

Australoechemus celer Murphy, 2007: 54, f. 442-443 (mf)

Megamyrmaekion ashae Gajbe, 2007: 464, f. 109-114 (mf)

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Levy, 2009: 14, f. 29-32 (mf, S of Megamyrmecion pumilum)

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Zamani et al., 2017c: 61, f. 2D-F (mf)

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Bosmans & Hervé, 2021: 60, f. 2b-c (f, S of Drassodes tarrhunensis [revalidated by Truong et al, 2026: 435])

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Sankaran & Caleb, 2021: 545, f. 25-29, 32-37 (mf, S of Megamyrmaekion ashae)

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Truong et al., 2026: 434 (S of Australoechemus celer)

Megamyrmaekion hula Levy, 2009 | | Israel urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:042293

Megamyrmaekion caudatum Levy, 1999d: 442, f. 27-29 (m; misidentified per Levy, 2009: 16)

Megamyrmaekion hula Levy, 2009: 16 (Dm) Original description

Megamyrmaekion luridum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) | | India, Vietnam urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:026937

Drassus luridus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874a: 396, pl. 52, f. 21 (Dmf) Original description

Scopodes maitraiae Tikader & Gajbe, 1977a: 14, f. 1A-E (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027829]

Drassodes luridus Tikader, 1982b: 409, f. 260-263 (mf)

Scopodes maitraiae Tikader, 1982b: 365, f. 164-169 (mf)

Megamyrmecion kajalae Biswas & Biswas, 1992: 430, f. 39-41 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027482]

Scopodes maitraiae Gajbe, 2007: 462, f. 97-102 (mf)

Drassodes luridus Caleb, Karthikeyani & Muthuchelian, 2014: 135, f. 1a-f, 2a-c (f)

Scopoides samarae Gawande & Bodkhe, 2018: 225, f. 1-6 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:051202]

Drassodes luridus Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2019b: 161, f. 27-31 (f, S of Scopoides maitraiae and Scopoides samarae)

Drassodes luridus Sankaran & Caleb, 2021: 548, f. 38-42 (f, S of Megamyrmaekion kajalae)

Megamyrmaekion luridum Truong et al., 2026: 435, f. 1A-B, 2A-D, 3A-D (mf, T from Drassodes)

Megamyrmaekion magshimim Levy, 2009 | | Israel urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:042294

Megamyrmaekion magshimim Levy, 2009: 16, f. 33-35 (Dm) Original description

Megamyrmaekion nairobii Berland, 1920 | | Kenya urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027483

Megamyrmecion nairobii Berland, 1920c: 103, f. 120 (Dm) Original description

Megamyrmaekion pritiae (Tikader, 1982) | | India urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027833

Scopodes pritiae Tikader, 1982b: 369, f. 175-180 (Dmf) Original description

Megamyrmaekion pritiae Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2019b: 156, f. 7-9, 12-16 (mf, T from Scopoides)

Megamyrmaekion schreineri Tucker, 1923 | | Namibia, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027487

Megamyrmeceon schreineri Tucker, 1923: 347, pl. 10, f. 63 (Dm) Original description

Megamyrmaekion schreineri Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021C: 26, 4 f. (m)

Megamyrmaekion tarrhunense (Karsch, 1881) | | Libya urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027011

Drassus tarrhunensis Karsch, 1881a: 12, pl. 1, f. 11 (Df) Original description

Megamyrmaekion tarrhunense Truong et al., 2026: 435 (removed from S of Megamyrmaekion caudatum, rejecting Bosmans & Hervé, 2021: 60, T from Drassus)

Megamyrmaekion tikaderi (Gajbe, 1987) | | India urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027836

Scopodes tikaderi Gajbe, 1987c: 285, f. 1-6 (Dmf) Original description

Scopodes tikaderi Gajbe, 2007: 463, f. 103-108 (m)

Megamyrmaekion tikaderi Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2019b: 159, f. 17-18, 22-26 (mf, T from Scopoides)

Megamyrmaekion transvaalense Tucker, 1923 | | South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027488

Megamyrmeceon transvaalensis Tucker, 1923: 348, pl. 10, f. 64 (Df) Original description

"Megamyrmaekion" nr. transvaalense Murphy, 2007: 54, f. 448-449 (mf; p. 448-449 misspelled transvaalicus)

Megamyrmaekion transvaalense Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021C: 27, 6 f. (f)

Megamyrmaekion velox Simon, 1887 | | Namibia, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027489

Megamyrmecion velox Simon, 1887b: 372 (Df) Original description

Megamyrmaekion vickyae (Sherwood, Marusik, Sharp & Ashmole, 2023) | | Ascension Is. urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:059422

Australoechemus vickyae Sherwood et al., 2023g: 293, f. 1A-D, 2A-D, 3A-C, 4A-D (Dmf) Original description

Megamyrmaekion vickyae Truong et al., 2026: 437 (T from Australoechemus)

Megamyrmaekion vulpinum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) | | Niger, Egypt urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027491

Drassus vulpinus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874a: 397, pl. 52, f. 22 (Df) Original description

Megamyrmecion holosericeum Simon, 1882b: 257, pl. 8, f. 21-22 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:056102]

Scotophaeus vulpinus Simon, 1893a: 371 (T from Drassus)

Megamymecium pallescens Denis, 1955b: 105, f. 3 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:056103]

Megamyrmaekion vulpinum Levy, 1999d: 438 (T from Scotophaeus, S of Megamyrmaekion holosericeum and M. pallescens)