Thoracic pit(Huber 2000)
A roughly circular indentation of the carapace may unite a number of genera that mostly comprise large Old World species, including some of the most common synanthropic species (Holocnemus pluchei, Crossopriza lyoni, Smeringopus pallidus). Contrary to previous ideas (Huber 1995), Smeringopina is in fact part of Smeringopinae rather than Pholcinae.
(12S+CO1+16S+28S: Bruvo-Madaric et al. 2005; 28S: Astrin et al. 2007; Dimitrov et al. 2013)
While the studies by Bruvo-Madaric et al. (2005) and Dimitrov et al. (2013) clearly resolved the sequenced Smeringopinae as monophyletic, the study by Astrin et al. (2005 - only 28S could be sequenced for all taxa) found a close relationship between Crossopriza and Smeringopus, but Holocnemus was placed near ninetines, which is clearly an (unexplained) artifact.
? Silk puffs in
webs (not obligatory)
(Huber 2012)
