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.

Gen. Trichothyse Tucker, 1923 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:02492

type Trichothyse hortensis Tucker, 1923; gender feminine

In synonymy:

Trichothyse campestrata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Levy, 1999d: 431, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse dimidiata (Simon, 1878) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Levy, 1999d: 431, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse flavomaculata (L. Koch, 1878, T from Drassodes) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Chatzaki, Thaler & Mylonas, 2002a: 569, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse incompta (Pavesi, 1880) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Alioua & Bosmans, 2020: 123, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse lesserti (Denis, 1947) = Trichothyse pugnax (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Levy, 1999d: 433, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse rufipes (Thorell, 1875, T from Zelotes) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Kovblyuk, Marusik & Omelko, 2013: 424, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse sabulum (Wunderlich, 2011, T from Macarophaeus) = Trichothyse poonaensis (Tikader, 1982) (Lissner & Chatzaki, 2016c: 18, sub Poecilochroa taborensis)

Trichothyse sockniensis (Karsch, 1881, T from Drassodes) = Trichothyse pugnax (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) (Bosmans & Hervé, 2021: 60, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse subincompta (Strand, 1908) = Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (Strand, 1908h: 63, sub Poecilochroa incompta)

Trichothyse taborensis (Levy, 1999) = Trichothyse poonaensis (Tikader, 1982) (Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020e: 1329, sub Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse africana (Tucker, 1923) | | Mozambique, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027451

Latonigena africana Tucker, 1923: 383, pl. 11, f. 83 (Df) Original description

"Latonigena" africanus Murphy, 2007: 52, f. 358-359 (f, probably to Trichothyse)

Trichothyse africana Ott, Rodrigues & Brescovit, 2012: 238 (T from Latonigena)

Trichothyse africana Lissner & Chatzaki, 2016c: 17, f. 2D, 4F (f)

Trichothyse africana Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021D: 27, 4 f. (f)

'Trichothyse' africana Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 56, f. 14, 20, 76-89 (f, misplaced in this genus, belongs to the 'Echemus group')

Trichothyse antineae (Fage, 1929) | | Mali urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027727

Poecilochroa antineae Fage, 1929b: 248, f. 1 (Dm) Original description

Macarophaeus antinae Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (lapsus, possible member of this genus)

Trichothyse antineae Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 41 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse fontensis Lawrence, 1928 | | Namibia, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:028040

Trichothyse fontensis Lawrence, 1928: 232, pl. 21, f. 14 (Dm) Original description

Trichothyse fontensis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 43, f. 1-2, 5-6, 9, 15, 21-33 (m, Df)

Trichothyse furcata (Simon, 1914) | | Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027739

Poecilochroa furcata Simon, 1914: 184, 221, f. 393-394 (Dm) Original description

Poecilochroa furcata Di Franco, 2001: 203, f. 3-4 (m)

Macarophaeus furcata Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Poecilochroa furcata Hoyas, 2024: 140, f. 3-6 (m)

Trichothyse furcata Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 59 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse golan (Levy, 1999) | | Israel urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027740

Poecilochroa golan Levy, 1999d: 435, f. 15-16 (Df) Original description

Macarophaeus golan Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Trichothyse golan Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 59 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse hamipalpis (Kroneberg, 1875) | | Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027140

Melanophora hamipalpis Kroneberg, 1875: 24, pl. 2, f. 3 (Dm) Original description

Leptodrassus hamipalpis Simon, 1893a: 363

Echemus hamipalpis Dalmas, 1919b: 250

Poecilochroa hamipalpis Fomichev & Marusik, 2021a: 448, f. 22-29 (m, T from Echemus)

Poecilochroa hamipalpis Coşar, Danışman & Marusik, 2024: 113, f. 7F, 8E-F (m)

Trichothyse hamipalpis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 59 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse hamipalpis Zamani et al., 2025b: 20, f. 11A-B, 12A-D (m, Df)

Trichothyse hortensis Tucker, 1923 | | Namibia, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:028041 TYPE SPECIES

Trichothyse hortensis Tucker, 1923: 332, pl. 9, f. 53 (Df) Original description

Trichothyse hortensis Murphy, 2007: 50, f. 382-383 (f; N.B.: see also f. 384-385)

Trichothyse hortensis Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021D: 28, 7 f. (f)

Trichothyse hortensis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 46, f. 10, 16, 34-41 (f)

Trichothyse ilkerakkusi (Coşar, Danışman & Marusik, 2024) | | Turkey urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:060419

Poecilochroa ilkerakkusi Coşar, Danışman & Marusik, 2024: 120, f. 5C-F, 7A-E, 8A-D (Dm) Original description

Trichothyse ilkerakkusi Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 60 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse jodhpurensis (Gajbe, 1993) | | India urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027481

Megamyrmecion jodhpurensis Gajbe, 1993d: 231, f. 1-5 (Df) Original description

Poecilochroa jodhpurense Sankaran & Caleb, 2021: 548, f. 44-46, 49-51 (f, T from Megamyrmaekion)

Trichothyse jodhpurensis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 60, f. 90-119 (Dm, f, T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse karoo Haddad & Sankaran, 2025 | | South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:063775

Trichothyse karoo Haddad & Sankaran in Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 48, f. 3, 7, 11, 17, 42-57 (Dmf) Original description

Trichothyse loricata (Kritscher, 1996) | | Malta, Italy (Sicily) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027748

Poecilochroa loricata Kritscher, 1996: 143, f. 7 (Dm) Original description

Poecilochroa loricata Bauer, 2022: 97, f. 1a-e, 2a-c (m)

Poecilochroa loricata Nicolosi et al., 2024: 1018, f. 2a-e (m, Df)

Trichothyse loricata Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 66 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse perversa (Simon, 1914) | | France urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027755

Poecilochroa perversa Simon, 1914: 184, 221, f. 395-396 (Dm) Original description

Macarophaeus perversa Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Trichothyse perversa Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 66 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse poonaensis (Tikader, 1982) | | Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, India urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027721

Phaeocedus poonaensis Tikader, 1982b: 362, f. 158-163 (Df) Original description

Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 1999d: 436, f. 17-18 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027762]

Poecilochroa taborensis Levy, 2009: 20, f. 44-46 (Dm, f)

Macarophaeus sabulum Wunderlich, 2011: 49, f. 68h-i (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:043970]

Macarophaeus taborensis Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Macarophaeus sabulum Wunderlich, 2012b: 187, f. 8-11 (Dm)

Poecilochroa taborensis Lissner & Chatzaki, 2016c: 17, f. 1, 2A-C, 3A-D, 4A-E, 5A-C, 6A-D (mf, S of Macarophaeus sabulum)

Macarophaeus taborensis Wunderlich, 2017b: 315 (S of Macarophaeus sabulum confirmed; T to Macarophaeus not accepted, because Lissner & Chatzaki, 2016c is not taken into account)

Poecilochroa taborensis Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020e: 1329, f. 3a-c (f, T from Phaeocedus, S of Poecilochroa poonaensis; took the younger name as valid without explanation)

Poecilochroa poonaensis Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2021c: 3003 (S of Poecilochroa taborensis, correction of Sankaran, Caleb & Sebastian, 2020e: 1329)

Poecilochroa poonaensis Domènech et al., 2023: 160, f. 1A-D (mf)

Poecilochroa poonaensis Bosmans & Gavalas, 2023: 50, f. 25A-C (m)

Trichothyse poonaensis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 67 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse pugnax (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) | | Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027757

Drassus pugnax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874a: 399, pl. 52, f. 25 (Dm) Original description

Drassus sockniensis Karsch, 1881a: 12, pl. 1, f. 9 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027001]

Poecilochroa pugnax Simon, 1908a: 423 (Df)

Scotophaeus subpugnax Strand, 1908h: 62 (provisional name)

Poecilochroa lesserti Denis, 1947a: 62, pl. 3, f. 8-10 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:060363]

Poecilochroa pugnax Levy, 1999d: 433, f. 10-14 (mf, S of Poecilochroa lesserti)

Macarophaeus pugnax Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Poecilochroa pugnax Bosmans & Hervé, 2021: 60, f. 2d-e (f, S of Drassodes sockniensis)

Poecilochroa pugnax Abdel-Ghani, Hassan & Sallam, 2023: 33, f. 9 (f)

Trichothyse pugnax Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 51 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) | | North Africa, Portugal to Turkmenistan. Introduced to Cape Verde urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027760

Drassus senilis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872: 236, pl. 15, f. 13 (Df) Original description

Drassus campestratus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874a: 392, pl. 51, f. 17 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:060361]

Prosthesima rufipes Thorell, 1875b: 82 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:028368]

Prosthesima rufipes Thorell, 1875c: 110 (Df)

Drassus dimidiatus Simon, 1878a: 153 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:060362]

Drassus flavo-maculatus L. Koch, 1878b: 40, pl. 1, f. 2 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:026894]

Prosthesima incompta Pavesi, 1880b: 350 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027743]

Scotophaeus senilis Simon, 1893a: 371

Poecilochroa campestrata Simon, 1893a: 372

Poecilochroa subincompta Strand, 1908h: 66 (invalid provisional name) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:063776]

Poecilochroa incompta Strand, 1908h: 63 (f, incl. P. subincompta)

Poecilochroa dimidiata Simon, 1914: 185, 221, f. 347, 400 (mf)

Poecilochroa senilis Levy, 1999d: 431, f. 6-9 (mf, S of Poecilochroa campestrata and P. dimidiata)

Poecilochroa senilis Chatzaki, Thaler & Mylonas, 2002a: 569, f. 8-11 (mf, S of Drassodes flavomaculatus)

Poecilochroa senilis Seyyar, Topçu & Demir, 2006: 119, f. 5 (f)

Poecilochroa senilis Murphy, 2007: 50, f. 370-371 (mf)

Poecilochroa senilis Kovblyuk et al., 2008a: 46, f. 49 (m)

Poecilochroa senilis Kovblyuk & Tuneva, 2009: 157, f. 1-9 (mf)

Macarophaeus senilis Wunderlich, 2011: 46 (possible member of this genus)

Poecilochroa senilis Kovblyuk, Marusik & Omelko, 2013: 424, f. 1-3 (f, S of Zelotes rufipes)

Poecilochroa senilis Lecigne, 2016a: 114, f. 10H-J (f)

Poecilochroa senilis Ponomarev et al., 2017: 161, f. 2 (m)

Poecilochroa cf. senilis Ponomarev et al., 2018a: 248, f. 8-9 (f)

Poecilochroa senilis Alioua & Bosmans, 2020: 123, f. 2-4 (mf, S of Poecilochroa incompta)

Poecilochroa senilis Bosmans & Gavalas, 2023: 50, f. 26A-D (mf)

Poecilochroa senilis Seropian et al., 2024a: 98, f. 14-15 (m)

Trichothyse senilis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 67 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse senilis auspex (Simon, 1878) | | Spain, France urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:027761

Drassus auspex Simon, 1878a: 154 (Dmf) Original description

Poecilochroa dimidiata auspex Simon, 1914: 185, 221, f. 398 (m)

Trichothyse senilis auspex Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 68 (T from Poecilochroa)

Trichothyse subtropica Lawrence, 1927 | | Namibia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:028042

Trichothyse subtropica Lawrence, 1927: 15, pl. 1, f. 15 (Df) Original description

Trichothyse subtropica Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 52, f. 12, 18, 58–63 (f)

Trichothyse zuluensis (Lawrence, 1938) | | Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:028095

Xerophaeus zuluensis Lawrence, 1938a: 479, f. 14 (Df) Original description

Xerophaeus zuluensis Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021D: 63, 4 f. (f)

Trichothyse zuluensis Sankaran, Haddad & Tripathi, 2025: 53, f. 4, 8, 13, 19, 64-75 (Dm, f, T from Xerophaeus)