Oonopidae, also known as goblin spiders, is a family of spiders consisting of almost 2,000 described species in 115 genera worldwide, with total species diversity estimated at 2000 to 2500 species. The type genus of the family is Oonops Keyserling, 1835.
Description Goblin spiders are generally tiny, measuring about 1 to 3 millimeters. Some have scuta, hardened plates on their abdomens. Oonopids usually have six eyes, the anterior median eyes having been lost. However, four-eyed (Opopaea viamao), two-eyed (e.g. Coxapopha, Diblemma) and even completely eyeless species (e.g. Cousinea, the cave-dwelling Blanioonops) are also known. The family is permeated with unusual morphological traits, many of which are limited to males. Examples include heavily modified mouthparts (e.g. Coxapopha, Xyccarph), sternal pouches (sometimes alternatively called holsters; e.g. Grymeus) and extensions of the carapace (e.g. Ferchestina, Unicorn). The male pedipalps are also often highly modified. The genus Opopaea, for example, exhibits an expanded palpal patella while male Ischnothyreus are characterized by completely sclerotized, pitch-black pedipalps. Members of the genus Orchestina are believed to be able to jump, as both sexes have greatly enlarged femora on the fourth leg pair.
Life style Oonopidae are seldom seen by people as they are too small to be easily noticed. They are generally found in the leaf litter layer and under rocks, but they also constitute a significant component of the spider fauna living in the canopy of tropical rainforest. Three blind Afrotropical genera (Anophthalmoonops, Caecoonops, Termitoonops) are exclusively found in termite nests. A few species, such as the pantropical Heteroonops spinimanus and Triaeris stenaspis, are thought to be parthenogenetic as no males have yet been collected.
Fossil record Oonopidae are frequently encountered as subfossils preserved in copals and as fossils preserved in amber. Oonopids even occur in more amber deposits than any other spider family, which may be accounted for by their widespread distribution, small size, and wandering behaviour, as amber appears to be biased towards trapping such spiders. In contrast, sedimentary fossils of Oonopidae are unknown.
Most fossil oonopids described from amber are assigned to the extant genus Orchestina. This genus was already widespread by the end of the Cretaceous, as indicated by specimens found in amber dating back over 100 million years.
Genera
, this family includes 115 genera and 1,978 species:
Amazoonops Ott, Ruiz, Brescovit & Bonaldo, 2017 – Brazil Anophthalmoonops Benoit, 1976 – Angola Antoonops Fannes & Jocqué, 2008 – Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria Aposphragisma Thoma, 2014 – Southeast Asia, Borneo Aprusia Simon, 1893 – India, Sri Lanka Aschnaoonops Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011 – Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Virgin Islands, South America Australoonops Hewitt, 1915 – Mozambique, South Africa Bannana Tong & Li, 2015 – China Bidysderina Platnick, Dupérré, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Ecuador Bipoonops Bolzern, 2014 – Ecuador Birabenella Grismado, 2010 – Argentina, Chile, Peru Blanioonops Simon & Fage, 1922 – East Africa Brignolia Dumitrescu & Georgescu, 1983 – Mauritius, Seychelles, Asia, United States, Borneo. Introduced to Africa, Australia, South America Caecoonops Benoit, 1964 – DR Congo Camptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 – Asia, New Caledonia Cavisternum Baehr, Harvey & Smith, 2010 – Sri Lanka, Australia Cinetomorpha Simon, 1892 – Mexico to South America Cortestina Knoflach, 2009 – Austria, Italy, Spain Costarina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – North America, Colombia Cousinea Saaristo, 2001 – Seychelles Coxapopha Platnick, 2000 – Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Peru Dalmasula Platnick, Szűts & Ubick, 2012 – Namibia, South Africa Diblemma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1908 – Seychelles. Introduced to Switzerland, Britain Dysderina Simon, 1892 – Africa, South America, Philippines Dysderoides Fage, 1946 – Thailand, India Emboonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Mexico Escaphiella Platnick & Dupérré, 2009 – North America, South America Farqua Saaristo, 2001 – Seychelles Gamasomorpha Karsch, 1881 – Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, Hawaii Gradunguloonops Grismado, Izquierdo, González M. & Ramírez, 2015 – South America Grymeus Harvey, 1987 – Sri Lanka, Australia Guaraguaoonops Brescovit, Rheims & Bonaldo, 2012 – Brazil Guatemoonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Guatemala, Mexico Heteroonops Dalmas, 1916 – North to South America. Introduced to Madagascar, Japan, Europe, Australia, Pacific Islands Hexapopha Platnick, Berniker & Víquez, 2014 – Costa Rica, South America Himalayana Grismado, 2014 – India, Nepal Hortoonops Platnick & Dupérré, 2012 – Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Hypnoonops Benoit, 1977 – Congo Ischnothyreus Simon, 1893 – Madagascar, Asia, Oceania. Introduced to Europe, Africa Kachinia Tong & Li, 2018 – China, Myanmar Kapitia Forster, 1956 – New Zealand Khamiscar Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Madagascar Khamisia Saaristo & van Harten, 2006 – Kenya, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. Introduced to Cape Verde Khamisina Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Congo, Kenya, Nigeria Khamisoides Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Virgin Islands Kijabe Berland, 1914 – Kenya, East Africa Lionneta Benoit, 1979 – Seychelles Longoonops Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Cuba, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama Malagiella Ubick & Griswold, 2011 – Madagascar Megabulbus Saaristo, 2007 – Israel Megaoonops Saaristo, 2007 – Israel Melchisedec Fannes, 2010 – Niger, East Africa, West Molotra Ubick & Griswold, 2011 – Madagascar Neotrops Grismado & Ramírez, 2013 – Trinidad, Panama, South America Neoxyphinus Birabén, 1953 – Jamaica, Trinidad, South America Nephrochirus Simon, 1910 – Namibia Niarchos Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru Noideattella Álvarez-Padilla, Ubick & Griswold, 2012 – Madagascar, Seychelles Noonops Platnick & Berniker, 2013 – Bahama Islands, Mexico, United States Oonopinus Simon, 1893 – Africa, China, Europe, Oceania, Venezuela Oonopoides Bryant, 1940 – North America, Venezuela, possibly Jamaica Oonops Templeton, 1835 – Worldwide Opopaea Simon, 1892 – Worldwide Orchestina Simon, 1882 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania. Introduced to South America Ovobulbus Saaristo, 2007 – Egypt, Israel Paradysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – South America Paramolotra Tong & Li, 2021 – China, India Patri Saaristo, 2001 – Seychelles Pelicinus Simon, 1892 – Asia, Oceania. Introduced to Africa, South America Pescennina Simon, 1903 – Mexico to South America Plectoptilus Simon, 1905 – Indonesia Ponsoonops Bolzern, 2014 – North America, Colombia, Venezuela Predatoroonops Brescovit, Rheims & Ott, 2012 – Brazil Prethopalpus Baehr, Harvey, Burger & Thoma, 2012 – Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea Prida Saaristo, 2001 – Seychelles. Introduced to Switzerland Prodysderina Platnick, Dupérré, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Colombia, Venezuela Promolotra Tong & Li, 2020 – China, Myanmar Pseudodysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – South America Pseudoscaphiella Simon, 1907 – South Africa Puan Izquierdo, 2012 – Argentina Reductoonops Platnick & Berniker, 2014 – Mexico to South America Scaphidysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru Scaphiella Simon, 1892 – North America, South America, Saba Scaphioides Bryant, 1942 – North America Scaphios Platnick & Dupérré, 2010 – Colombia, Ecuador Semibulbus Saaristo, 2007 – Israel Semidysderina Platnick & Dupérré, 2011 – Colombia Setayeshoonops Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011 – Suriname Sicariomorpha Ott & Harvey, 2015 – Malaysia Silhouettella Benoit, 1979 – Africa, Asia, Europ Simlops Bonaldo, Ott & Ruiz, 2014 – Trinidad, South America Simonoonops Harvey, 2002 – Caribbean, Guyana, Venezuela Socotroonops Saaristo & van Harten, 2002 – Yemen Spinestis Saaristo & Marusik, 2009 – Ukraine Stenoonops Simon, 1892 – Seychelles, North America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guadaloupe, Saba Sulsula Simon, 1882 – Algeria, Egypt, Sudan Tapinesthis Simon, 1914 – Europe. Introduced to North America Telchius Simon, 1893 – Algeria, Morocco, South Africa Termitoonops Benoit, 1964 – Congo Tinadysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Colombia, Ecuador Tolegnaro Álvarez-Padilla, Ubick & Griswold, 2012 – Madagascar Toloonops Bolzern, Platnick & Berniker, 2015 – Belize, Guatemala, Mexico Triaeris Simon, 1892 – Africa, India, Zanzibar. Tridysderina Platnick, Berniker & Bonaldo, 2013 – Ecuador Trilacuna Tong & Li, 2007 – Asia Unicorn Platnick & Brescovit, 1995 – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile Varioonops Bolzern & Platnick, 2013 – Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela Vientianea Tong & Li, 2013 – Laos Volborattella Saucedo & Ubick, 2015 – Madagascar Wanops Chamberlin & Ivie, 1938 – Mexico Xestaspis Simon, 1885 – Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Africa, Asia, Australia, French Polynesia. Introduced to Japan, Yemen, South America Xiombarg Brignoli, 1979 – Argentina, Brazil Xyccarph Brignoli, 1978 – Brazil Xyphinus Simon, 1893 – Asia, Australia, Borneo Zyngoonops Benoit, 1977 – Congo, Central African Republic
Extinct genera †Burmorchestina Wunderlich 2008 Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian †Canadaorchestina Wunderlich 2008 Canadian amber, Campanian †Fossilopaea Wunderlich 1988 Dominican amber, Miocene
References
Further reading Jocqué, R. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S. (2006). Spider Families of the World. Royal Museum for Central Africa. 336 pp. . Penney, D. (2006). Fossil oonopid spiders in Cretaceous ambers from Canada and Myanmar. Palaeontology 49(1): 229–235. Penney, D. (2004). New spiders in upper Cretaceous amber from New Jersey in the American Museum of Natural History (Arthropoda: Araneae). Palaeontology 47(2): 367–375.
External links
Goblin Spider Planetary Biodiversity Inventory. American Museum of Natural History.