Blind spiders

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As with other animals, there are some species of cave-dwelling spiders that have lost their ability to see. Examples include:

• several Cicurina (Dictynidae)
• Nesticella marapu (Nesticidae)
• Neoleptoneta microps (Leptonetidae)
• Adelocosa anops (Lycosidae)
• Lygromma anops, L. gertschi, Plutonodomus kungwensis (Prodidomidae)
• Euagrus anops, Masteria caeca (Dipluridae)
• Theridion strepitus (Theridiidae)
• Tartarus mullamullangensis (Stiphidiidae)

Some of these species have reduced and largely dysfunctional eyes, whereas others have no eyes at all.

P. kungwensis does not live in caves, but in termite nests.