Symphytognathidae

Symphytognathidae is a family of spiders with 90^[1] described species in eight genera. Most species inhabit the New World tropics and Oceania.^[2]

Dwarf orb-weavers
Crassignatha danaugirangensis, female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Symphytognathidae Hickman, 1931
Diversity
8 genera, 73 species

The species Patu digua is considered to be one of the smallest spiders in the world with a body size of 0.37 millimetres (0.015 in).^[3]

Distribution

Spiders in this family occur in the tropics of Central and South America and the Australian region (with Oceania).^[2]

Exceptions include Anapistula benoiti, Anapistula caecula, and Symphytognatha imbulunga, found in Africa, Anapistula ishikawai, found in Japan, and Anapistula jerai, found in Southeast Asia.^[2]

Morphology

Symphytognathidae are four, six or eight-eyed spiders and are generally small in size. The opisthosoma is covered in long hairs.^[4]

Genera

Main article: List of Symphytognathidae species

As of April 2019^[update], the World Spider Catalog accepts the following genera:^[2]

• Anapistula Gertsch, 1941 — Asia, South America, Portugal, Oceania, Africa, North America, Jamaica
• Anapogonia Simon, 1905 — Indonesia
• Crassignatha Wunderlich, 1995 — Indonesia, Malaysia
• Curimagua Forster & Platnick, 1977 — Panama, Venezuela
• Globignatha Balogh & Loksa, 1968 — Brazil, Belize
• Iardinis Simon, 1899 — Nepal, India
• Patu Marples, 1951 — Asia, Colombia, Oceania, Seychelles
• Swilda Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 — Asia
• Symphytognatha Hickman, 1931 — Oceania, South America, Caribbean, Mexico, Belize, South Africa