Cybaeidae

Cybaeidae is a family of spiders first described by Nathan Banks in 1892. There are small to large sized entelegyne spiders, which are ecribellate. The diving bell spider or water spider Argyroneta aquatica was previously included in this family, but is now in the family Dictynidae. The distribution of this species resembles closely a typical Holarctic biogeography, with all of their species being found in the northern hemisphere. Where they have a tendency to live beneath rocks or woody debris in shaded and cool forest habitats, but they can also be found in caves, ant nests, and moss on tree trunks. They are morphologically defined as spiders which have three claws, a single row of tarsal trichobothria, and posterior lateral spinnerets which lack a cribellum.

Most of the cybaeid genera are very species rich, as they have a large number of very short-range endemic species.