Lagonomegopidae is an extinct family of spiders known from the Cretaceous period. Members of the family are distinguished by a large pair of eyes, positioned on the anterolateral flanks of the carapace, with the rest of the eyes being small. They have generally been considered members of Palpimanoidea, but this has recently been questioned.[1] Members of the family are known from the late Early Cretaceous (Albian) to near the end of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of Eurasia, North America and the Middle East, which was then attached to Africa as part of Gondwana. They are generally assumed to have been free living hunters as opposed to web builders.[1]
Per Guo and Selden, 2019[1]
Chelicera with several peg teeth on promargin; true teeth present or absent on retromargin. Carapace with a pair of large posterior median eyes situated on anterolateral corner, other eyes tiny. Endites subtriangular, directed across the labium, almost meeting at the midline. Trichobothria present on leg tibia and metatarsus. Three tarsal claws, unpaired claw hook-like. Six spinnerets. Female palpal tarsi lacking a claw.
For the meaning of technical words, refer to the Glossary of spider terms.
A phylogenetic analysis conducted in 2021 found that Lagonomegopidae formed the sister group to extant Palpimanoidea.[2]
Langonomegopids preserved with associated egg sacs and spiderlings indicate that females likely laid egg sacs in nests or hollows, and the young may have lived with the mother for some time after hatching.[3]
Lagonomegopidae is an extinct family of spiders known from the Cretaceous period. Members of the family are distinguished by a large pair of eyes, positioned on the anterolateral flanks of the carapace, with the rest of the eyes being small. They have generally been considered members of Palpimanoidea, but this has recently been questioned. Members of the family are known from the late Early Cretaceous (Albian) to near the end of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of Eurasia, North America and the Middle East, which was then attached to Africa as part of Gondwana. They are generally assumed to have been free living hunters as opposed to web builders.