The ground spiders comprise of members of the Gnaphosidae family consisting of about 2000 species divided into more than 100 genera distributed evenly all over the world.
Size: They are 8 to 15mm (0.31 to 0.59 inches) in size.
Color: The spiders of this family may be black, grayish-brown, or red.
Other characteristics: They have two black barrel-shaped spinnerets resembling tubes at their abdominal tips. The spiders belonging to this family possess eight eyes divided into rows of two, that are mostly triangular or oval-shaped.
The small-sized eggs are contained within the papery, thick-walled egg sac, guarded vigilantly by the mother until they hatch. The egg sacs resemble fried eggs since they bulge in the middle.
The spiderlings remain with their mother until maturity after which they disperse to be on their own.
Though they make webs it is not used for capturing prey, for which they use their hunting skills.
Though most of the members of this family are aggressive hunters, they are generally harmless to human beings, and their bites are not venomous.
| Lifespan | 2 -3 years |
| Distribution | North and South America, Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and Europe |
| Habitat | Mostly outdoors beneath logs and stones, within decayed matter, and leaf litter; indoors they may be found hiding amidst clothes pile, furniture, appliances, and utensils. |
| Diet | Small insects as well as other spiders |
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