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The family Gnaphosidae, commonly known as the Stealthy Ground Spider or Ground Spider, is the seventh largest spider family with over 100 genera, containing some 2,000 plus described species worldwide (and with more still being discovered). Atlas of Living Australia (researched 3 November 2024) has listed 15 genera of the family Gnaphosidae.

Most Gnaphosidae are reddish, brown, gray, or black in colour spiders, with some having stripes. Most of the ground spiders are characterised with having a barrel-shaped anterior spinnerets, that are about one spinneret diameter apart. The ground spiders hunt at night, surprising the prey or runing the prey down. During the day they often hide in a silken retreat.

Stealthy Ground Spider (family Gnaphosidae), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Stealthy Ground Spider (family Gnaphosidae), Belair SA © Marianne Broug

Intruda signata
Intruda signata (Stealthy Ground Spider), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Intruda signata (Stealthy Ground Spider), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Infraorder: Araneomorphae
  • Family: Gnaphosidae
  • Genus:
    • Anzacia Dalmas, 1919
    • Aphantaulax Simon, 1878
    • Ceryerda Simon, 1909
    • Echemus Simon, 1878
    • Eilica Keyserling, 1891
    • Encoptarthria Main, 1954
    • Epicharitus Rainbow, 1916
    • Hemicloea Thorell, 1870
    • Homoeothele Simon, 1908
    • Intruda Forster, 1979
    • Laronius Platnick & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001
    • Megamyrmaekion Wider, 1834
    • Micaria Westring, 1851
    • Symphanodes Rainbow, 1916
    • Zelotes Gistel, 1848

Footnote & References

  1. GNAPHOSIDAE Pocock, 1898, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Gnaphosidae

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Euryopis umbilicate (Superb Ant-eater Spider) Flower Spiders Gnaphosidae (Stealthy Ground Spider) Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Molycria burwelli Mopsus mormon Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Tetragnatha Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider