Sac spider

The sac spiders of the family Clubionidae^[a] are nocturnal, sac-building hunting spiders with a near-worldwide distribution. Their sacs, silken retreats in which they hide during the day, may be made in a variety of places, including between folded leaves or grass blades, under bark and below rocks or other ground litter.^[1]

Sac spider Temporal range: Palaeogene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Clubiona trivialis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Clubionidae Simon, 1878
Diversity
18 genera, 665 species

Although formerly a much larger catch-all taxon, in its current definition the family contains less than 700 described species across 18 genera, of which Clubiona is by far most species-rich, with 528 accepted species as of November 2024^[update].^[2]

Taxonomy

The Clubionidae have a complex taxonomic history. Historically, the family was a large catch-all taxon for a variety of spiders that shared the following morphological and behavioral similarities: having eight eyes arranged in two rows; having conical anterior spinnerets that touched; and being nocturnal wandering predators that build "sacs" to retreat to during the day.^{[citation needed]}

A large number of genera have been transferred from Clubionidae to other families, and several former subfamilies of the Clubionidae are now treated as separate families.^[3] The Zoropsidae, to which genera Anachemmis, Lauricius and Liocranoides were transferred, is much more closely related to the lynx spiders of family Oxyopidae than to the remaining Clubionidae.^[4]

According to 2023 cladistic research by Siddharth Kulkarni, Hannah M. Wood and Gustavo Hormiga, the remaining Clubionidae remain polyphyletic as a result of the current placement of genus Elaver.^[4]

Genera

Main article: List of Clubionidae species

• 
  male Clubiona durbana
• 
  Elaver excepta
• 
  Porrhoclubiona leucaspis

As of November 2024^[update], the Clubionidae consist of over 665 species in 18 genera worldwide,^[5] with by far the majority of species in genus Clubiona.

Genera

As of October 2025^[update], this family includes eighteen genera:^[3]

• Arabellata Baert, Versteirt & Jocqué, 2010 – Papua New Guinea
• Bucliona Benoit, 1977 – Kenya, St. Helena, Eastern Asia, Russia
• Clubiona Latreille, 1804 – Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, Chile, Guyana
• Clubionina Berland, 1947 – St. Paul Island
• Elaver O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – North America, South America
• Femorbiona Yu & Li, 2021 – China, Vietnam
• Invexillata Versteirt, Baert & Jocqué, 2010 – Papua New Guinea
• Malamatidia Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 – China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia
• Matidia Thorell, 1878 – Asia, New Guinea
• Nusatidia Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 – China, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Borneo
• Porrhoclubiona Lohmander, 1944 – North Africa, Europe, Asia
• Pristidia Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 – China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
• Pteroneta Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 – China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Guinea
• Ramosatidia Yu & Li, 2021 – China
• Scopalio Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 – Borneo
• Simalio Simon, 1897 – Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Trinidad
• Sinostidia Yu & Li, 2021 – China
• Tixcocoba Gertsch, 1977 – Mexico

Additionally, the World Spider Catalog considers Carteroniella Strand, 1907 to be a nomen dubium.^[6]

See also

• List of Clubionidae species

Notes

1. the term "sac spider" is also part of the common name of various non-clubionid spiders—such as yellow sac spiders (Cheiracanthiidae) or corinnid sac spiders (Corinnidae)—many of which were formerly included in Clubionidae