The Dionycha are a clade of spiders (Araneomorphae:Entelegynae), characterized by the possession of two tarsal claws with tufts of hairs (setae) beside them, which produce strong adhesion, enabling some species to climb glass.[2] The circumscription of the group has varied widely; a 2021 analysis resulted in about 20 families, including Salticidae (jumping spiders), Gnaphosidae (ground spiders), and Clubionidae.[3]
The Dionycha are considered to be a subgroup of the larger RTA clade.[2] Most species hunt their prey instead of building webs.
Today it is thought that the reduction of the third claw present in ancestral spiders evolved several times independently,[1] so this alone is not a criterion that defines the clade.
Families
In 2021, a group of several spider taxonomists published a major study of the phylogeny of Dionycha, using genetic and phenotypic data. It included the families listed below:[3]
Bosselaers, J.; Jocqué, R. (2002). "Studies in Corinnidae: cladistic analysis of 38 corinnid and liocranid genera, and transfer of Phrurolithinae". Zoologica Scripta. 31 (3): 241–270. doi:10.1046/j.1463-6409.2002.00080.x. S2CID83947168.
Coddington, J. A.; Levi, H. W. (1991). "Systematics and evolution of spiders (Araneae)". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 22: 565–592. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.22.110191.003025.
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