The widespread and previously monotypic genus Misumessus Banks, 1904 from North America is found to consist of at least seven species. The type species, M. oblongus (Keyserling, 1880), occurs from Ontario, Canada, to eastern Texas and ranges over most of the eastern and mideastern United States. Misumessus lappi sp. nov. has a midwestern range and is known from central Texas to eastern Colorado. Misumessus dicaprioi sp. nov. is recorded from western North America from California, Utah and western Colorado, south to Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Texas. Misumessus tamiami sp. nov. occurs in the southern half of peninsular Florida. Misumessus quinteroi sp. nov. is circum-Caribbean, with records from Mexico to Panama, Trinidad, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Another Antillean species, M. bishopae sp. nov., is known from Puerto Rico, Dominica, and possibly the Grenadines. Misumessus blackwalli sp. nov. is known from Bermuda from a single male; it is unlikely that this species represents Thomisus pallens Blackwall, 1868, a nomen dubium based on a juvenile female, and the only thomisid previously reported from Bermuda. This name has not been used since the 19^th century other than in catalogs and checklists, and since its retention could potentially create a homonym, it is declared a nomen oblitum. The epigynal ‘hood' of thomisids is considered misnamed, as it engages the retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA), and is renamed the ‘coupling pocket' as in other RTA clade members. A hood is herein considered to be a general term that refers to an epigynal outgrowth partly enclosing a depression that engages a structure on the palpal bulb rather than the palpal tibia.