Spiders of the World

Known Geographic Information

Description Of Geographic Locations Where Each Family Is Found

For more information about these spider families, consult the Spider Family Key.

• Trapdoor: Mainly tropical with a more species in the southern U.S., Mexico and Southern Europe.
• Spitting: Most are tropical.
• Violin: Found worldwide including North America, Europe, South America and the Mediterranean.
• Comb-footed: Mainly tropical with 230+ species found in North America, fewer in Europe. These spiders are commonly seen because they are cosmopolitan.
• Sheet-web: Mainly temperate with hundreds of species found in Europe and several hundred species found in North America including the Arctic and high mountains.
• Large-jawed: Mainly tropical with about 14 species found in Europe, Bermuda and mainland North America. There are 52+ species found in Hawaii. Most are tropical with many in the South Pacific including Australia and in other tropical areas.
• Orb web: Found in all parts of the world with a few hundred species in North America and Europe.
• Funnel web: Common in North America (300 species) and Europe (95 species).
• Wolf: Temperate with large numbers in the Northern Hemisphere including the Arctic and high mountains. There are 200+species in North America and fewer in Europe.
• Lynx: Mainly tropical including Mexico. There are fewer north of Mexico in North America (20 species) and even fewer in Europe.
• Sac: Mainly Neotropical including Mexico with 200 species north of Mexico in North America. Few in other parts of the world.
• Crab: Worldwide with the largest in tropical areas including Mexico; about 200+ species north of Mexico in North America and 100+ species in Europe).
• Jumping: Most abundant in the tropics including Mexico. However still common in Europe with 400+ species. Less common north of Mexico in North America (about 300+ species).
• Dictynidae: Mainly found in North America and Europe.
• Nursery Web: Worldwide with relatively few in North America (15+ species) and even fewer in Europe.
• Uloboridae: Worldwide but most abundant in the tropics including Mexico with only 15+ north of Mexico in North America and fewer in Europe.
• Daddy long legs: Few Pholcidae found in North America (40 species of Pholcidae-spiders) and even fewer in Northern Europe. Most Pholcidae are found in the Mediterranean. The "daddy long leg" most common to Europe and temperate areas of North America is Phalangiidae-order Opilones which are not spiders as they only have one body part.

Spiders of the World

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Gene Carl Feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Todd Carlo Viola, JASON Foundation for Education (todd@jason.org)

Last revised: 19 May 1995 ( )