Argyrodes


Argyrodes, also called dewdrop spiders, is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1864. They occur worldwide, and are best known for their kleptoparasitism. They can spin their own webs, but tend to invade and reside in their hosts' webs. This relationship can be commensal or even mutual if the dewdrop spider feeds on small trapped insects that are not eaten by the host. Some species can even prey upon the host.
Most species are relatively small, and many are black with silvery markings. A. incursus has a body length of, while A. fissifrons has a body length of about.
The genus name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "", meaning "silver", and the suffix "-odes", meaning "like".

Distribution

Most Argyrodes are found in the tropics, though fifteen species are found in the United States. Dewdrop spiders prefer large webs and clustered webs compared to small and isolated ones. Large webs tend to have more kleptoparasites than smaller ones. Isolated webs tend to have lesser number of kleptoparasites compared to clustered webs of the same size.

Species

it contains ninety-three species and five subspecies, found in Asia, South America, North America, Oceania, Africa, the Caribbean, on the Canary Islands, and Saint Helena:
Formerly included:
Nomina dubia