Characterized by the peculiar structure of its epigyne, notably by the modified distal part of the scape: lateral lobes transformed into elongated pipes, terminating in a funnel-shaped bursa copulatrix; male characterized by the hummingbird-beak-shaped distal suprategular apophysis.
Money Spiders
Linyphiidae
Type genus: Linyphia Latreille, 1804
(after Framenau et al. 2014): Sheet-web spiders in the family Linyphiidae are small spiders similar to the Comb-footed Spiders (family Theridiidae); however, linyphiids have generally much spinier legs and no comb on the fourth tarsus. Family defining characters relate to the male pedipalps, which have an intersegmental paracymbium and lack the median apophysis and conductor, the latter two otherwise present in the Araneidae and allied families (Araneoidea).
Australophantes
1 species
Females are diagnosed by the internal epignye form which distinguishes this genus from Laetesia and Dunedinia. Males are diagnosed by the bowed chelicerae, and particularly by the form of the palpal organ, which distinguishes this genus from Laetesia and Dunedinia.
Chthiononetes
2 species
Erigone males differ from those of the similar genus Mermessus by the small denticles around the edge of the carapace.
Erigone
1 species
Linyphiidae gen. indet.
1 species
Publications
Framenau VW, Baehr BC, Zborowski P (2014): A guide to the spiders of Australia. New Holland Publishers, 1 - 448
van Helsdingen PJ (1972): An account of money spiders from down under (Araneida, Linyphiidae). Zoologische Mededelingen. 47: 369 - 390
Wunderlich J (1976): Spinnen aus Australien. 2. Linyphiidae (Arachnida: Araneida). Senckenbergiana Biologica. 57:
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