Stegodyphus
| Stegodyphus | |
|---|---|
| Stegodyphus lineatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Eresidae |
| Genus: | Stegodyphus Simon, 1873 |
| Type species | |
| S. lineatus (Latreille, 1817) | |
| Species | |
|
20, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stegodyphus is a genus of velvet spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon in 1873. They are distributed from Africa to Europe and Asia, with one species (S. manaus) found in Brazil. The name is derived from Ancient Greek στέγω (stegos), meaning "covered".
At least three species are social spiders, and several are known to use ballooning as a method of dispersal.