Theridiidae (predators)
| Vernacular names | |
|---|---|
| • Deutsch: | Kugelspinnen |
| • English: | tangle-web spiders |
Theridiidae (predators) - (tangle-web spiders)
The spider family of Theridiidae has a world-wide distribution and contains more than 2000 species. They construct irregular webs for catching other arthropods, using a comb-like structure on the last pair of legs. Any prey caught in the web is first secured with sticky silk and then injected with a toxin.
Several species are considered useful natural enemies of insect pest like Phylloneta impressa which is found in Europe and frequently in agricultural areas.
This page only deals with spiders as predators of insect pests from the family Theridiidae. For medically important species see the page Theridiidae (medical species).
The following genera and individual species are currently entered under this family:
