The mygalomorph (trapdoor spiders, tarantulas, and their relatives) spider family Cyrtaucheniidae (waferlid trapdoor spiders) includes 102 described species according to Platnick (2013), who follows recent authors by separating into a distinct family, Euctenizidae, a number of genera formerly placed in the Cyrtaucheniidae and by transferring two other genera from Cyrtaucheniidae to Nemesiidae. For North America north of Mexico, Platnick (2013) recognizes just a single cyrtaucheniid (Cyrtauchenius talpa) but 60 species of euctenizids (from a total known world fauna of 66 species; outside the United States, five additional species are known from Mexico and one from Guadeloupe).
The Cyrtaucheniidae has been viewed as one of the most diverse mygalomorph families in North America, in both number of species and diversity of ecological habits (Bond and Hedin 2006), but as noted above, recent work has indicated that the family as currently composed is polyphyletic (Bond et al. 2012) and this diversity is almost all now assigned to the family Euctenizidae. Bond and Opell (2002) revised the "southwestern North American Cyrtaucheniidae" (subfamily Euctenizinae). The euctenizines were included in the family Ctenizidae until Raven (1985) named the group as a subfamily within the Cyrtaucheniidae. More recently, the status of this group as a distinct family, Euctenizidae,has been supported by multiple studies (Goloboff 1993; Bond and Opell 2002; Bond and Hedin 2006; Hedin and Bond 2006; Bond et al. 2012).
(Bond 2005)
The family Cyrtaucheniidae, known as wafer-lid trapdoor spiders, are a widespread family of Mygalomorphae spiders.
Wafer-lid spiders are generally large and range in color between light brown and black. Their eyes are places in two rows, either in a rectangular position or with the back row wider apart.[3] They lack the thorn-like spines on tarsi and metatarsi I and II (the two outermost leg segments) found in true trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae).
Many, but not all, make wafer-like doors to their burrows, while others build the cork-like doors found commonly in the true trapdoor spiders.
The family is well represented South America, and Africa. A currently undescribed genus in the western United States may hold an altitude record for the family, being found up to over 11,000 feet (3,400 meters). The genus Anemesia is found only in Central Asia, and Cyrtauchenius reaches from Algeria north to Italy, with one species found in the USA. Angka is endemic to the cloud forest of Doi Inthanon, Thailand.
The former subfamily Euctenizinae from the US and Mexico were promoted to family rank as Euctenizidae in 2012, and are now considered more closely related to Idiopidae.[4] Further changes to the circumscription of the family were made in 2020. As of April 2023, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following genera:[4]
Genera which have be reclassified to other families include:
The family Cyrtaucheniidae, known as wafer-lid trapdoor spiders, are a widespread family of Mygalomorphae spiders.
