Spider taxonomy

Science of naming, defining and classifying spiders

Paintings of Araneus angulatus from Svenska Spindlar of 1757, the first major work on spider taxonomy

Spider taxonomy is the part of taxonomy that is concerned with the science of naming, defining and classifying all spiders, members of the Araneae order of the arthropod class Arachnida, which has more than 52,700 described species.[1][2] However, there are likely many species that have escaped the human eye as well as specimens stored in collections waiting to be described and classified. It is estimated that only one-third to one half of the total number of existing species have been described.[3]

Arachnologists divide spiders into two suborders with about 136 families as of February 2025[update].

Due to constant research, with new species being discovered every month and others being recognized as synonyms, the number of species in the families is bound to change and only reflects the present state of knowledge. Nevertheless, the species numbers given here are useful as a guideline – see the table of families at the end of the article.

## History

[edit]

Spider taxonomy can be traced to the work of Swedish naturalist Carl Alexander Clerck, who in 1757 published the first binomial scientific names of some 67 spiders species in his Svenska Spindlar ("Swedish Spiders"), one year before Linnaeus named over 30 spiders in his Systema Naturae. In the ensuing 250 years, thousands more species have been described by researchers around the world, yet only a dozen taxonomists are responsible for more than one-third of all species described. The most prolific authors include Eugène Simon of France, Norman Platnick and Herbert Walter Levi of the United States, Embrik Strand of Norway, and Tamerlan Thorell of Sweden, each having described well over 1,000 species.[4]

## Overview of phylogeny

[edit]

At the very top level, there is broad agreement on the phylogeny and hence classification of spiders, which is summarized in the cladogram below. The three main clades into which spiders are divided are shown in bold; as of 2015[update], they are usually treated as one suborder, Mesothelae, and two infraorders, Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae, grouped into the suborder Opisthothelae.[5][6] The Mesothelae, with about 194 species in 8 genera as of February 2025[update], make up a very small proportion of the total of around 52,750 known species. Mygalomorphae species comprise around 7% of the total, the remaining 93% being in the Araneomorphae.[note 1]

Araneae (spiders)  |

|  |

Mesothelae

|

| Opisthothelae |

|  |

Mygalomorphae

|

| Araneomorphae |

|  |

Austrochiloidea

|

Entelegynae

Haplogynae

Hypochiloidea

The Araneomorphae are divided into two main groups: the Haplogynae and the Entelegynae. The Haplogynae make up about 10% of the total number of spider species, the Entelegynae about 83%.[note 1] The phylogenetic relationships of the Haplogynae, Entelegynae and the two smaller groups Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea remain uncertain as of 2015[update]. Some analyses place both Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea outside Haplogynae;[7] others place the Austrochiloidea between the Haplogynae and the Entelegynae;[8][9] the Hypochiloidea have also been grouped with the Haplogynae.[10] Earlier analyses regarded the Hypochiloidea as the sole representatives of a group called the Paleocribellatae, with all other araneomorphs placed in the Neocribellatae.[11]

The Haplogynae are a group of araneomorph spiders with simpler male and female reproductive anatomy than the Entelegynae. Like the mesotheles and mygalomorphs, females have only a single genital opening (gonopore), used both for copulation and egg-laying;[12] males have less complex palpal bulbs than those of the Entelegynae.[13] Although some studies based on both morphology and DNA suggest that the Haplogynae form a monophyletic group (i.e. they comprise all the descendants of a common ancestor),[14][10] this hypothesis has been described as "weakly supported", with most of the distinguishing features of the group being inherited from ancestors shared with other groups of spiders, rather than being clearly indicative of a separate common origin (i.e. being synapomorphies).[15] One phylogenetic hypothesis based on molecular data shows the Haplogynae as a paraphyletic group leading to the Austrochilidae and Entelegynae.[16]

The Entelegynae have a more complex reproductive anatomy: females have two "copulatory pores" in addition to the single genital pore of other groups of spiders; males have complex palpal bulbs, matching the female genital structures (epigynes).[14] The monophyly of the group is well supported in both morphological and molecular studies. The internal phylogeny of the Entelegynae has been the subject of much research. Two groups within this clade contain the only spiders that make vertical orb webs: the Deinopoidea are cribellate – the adhesive properties of their webs are created by packets of thousands of extremely fine loops of dry silk; the Araneoidea are ecribellate – the adhesive properties of their webs are created by fine droplets of "glue". In spite of these differences, the webs of the two groups are similar in their overall geometry.[17] The evolutionary history of the Entelegynae is thus intimately connected with the evolutionary history of orb webs. One hypothesis is that there is a single clade, Orbiculariae, uniting the orb web makers, in whose ancestors orb webs evolved. A review in 2014 concluded that there is strong evidence that orb webs evolved only once, although only weak support for the monophyly of the Orbiculariae.[18] One possible phylogeny is shown below; the type of web made is shown for each terminal node in order of the frequency of occurrence.[19]

Entelegynae  |

|  |

Eresoidea, RTA clade – no web; substrate-defined web

|

Orbiculariae |

|  |

Deinopoidea – orb web

|

|  |

Araneoidea – orb web; aerial sheet web; cobweb; no web

|

Nicodamidae – aerial sheet web

If this is correct, the earliest members of the Entelegynae made webs defined by the substrate on which they were placed (e.g. the ground) rather than suspended orb webs. True orb webs evolved once, in the ancestors of the Orbiculariae, but were then modified or lost in some descendants.

An alternative hypothesis, supported by some molecular phylogenetic studies, is that the Orbiculariae are paraphyletic, with the phylogeny of the Entelegynae being as shown below.[20]

Entelegynae  |

|  |

Araneoidea – orb web; aerial sheet web; cobweb; no web

|

|  |

Deinopoidea, Oecobiidae– orb web; substrate-defined web

|

RTA clade – no web; substrate-defined web

On this view, orb webs evolved earlier, being present in the early members of the Entelegynae, and were then lost in more groups,[21] making web evolution more convoluted, with different kinds of web having evolved separately more than once.[18] Future advances in technology, including comparative genomics studies,[2] and whole-genome sampling should lead to "a clearer image of the evolutionary chronicle and the underlying diversity patterns that have resulted in one of the most extraordinary radiations of animals".[18]

## Suborder Mesothelae

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|

Mesothelae resemble the Solifugae ("wind scorpions" or "sun scorpions") in having segmented plates on their abdomens that create the appearance of the segmented abdomens of these other arachnids. They are both few in number and also limited in geographical range.

* †Arthrolycosidae (primitive spiders, extinct)
* †Arthromygalidae (primitive spiders, extinct)
* Liphistiidae (primitive burrowing spiders)
* Heptathelidae (primitive burrowing spiders)

Digitally enhanced image of a Sphodros rufipes that shows the nearly perfectly vertical orientation of the fangs, a prime characteristic of the Mygalomorphae.

## Suborder Opisthothelae

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|

Suborder Opisthothelae contains the spiders that have no plates on their abdomens. Opisthothelae is divided into two infraorders, Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae, which can be distinguished by the orientation of their fangs. It can be somewhat difficult on casual inspection to determine whether the fang orientation would classify a spider as a mygalomorph or araneomorph. The spiders that are called "tarantulas" in English are so large and hairy that inspection of their fangs is hardly necessary to categorize one of them as a mygalomorph. Other, smaller, members of this suborder, however, look little different from the araneomorphs. (See the picture of Sphodros rufipes below.) Many araneomorphs are immediately identifiable as such since they are found on webs designed for the capture of prey or exhibit other habitat choices that eliminate the possibility that they could be mygalomorphs.

### Infraorder Mygalomorphae

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Megaphobema robustum, one of the many kinds of spiders called "tarantulas"

Spiders in infraorder Mygalomorphae are characterized by the vertical orientation of their fangs and the possession of four book lungs.

### Infraorder Araneomorphae

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Photograph showing orientation of the fangs of the Araneomorphae.

Most, if not all, of the spiders one is likely to encounter in everyday life belong to infraorder Araneomorphae. It includes a wide range of spider families, including the orb-weaver spiders that weave their distinctive webs in gardens, the cobweb spiders that frequent window frames and the corners of rooms, the crab spiders that lurk on flowers waiting for nectar- and pollen-gathering insects, the jumping spiders that patrol the outside walls of buildings, and so on. They are characterized by having fangs whose tips approach each other as they bite, and (usually) having one pair of book lungs.

## Classification above families

[edit]

Spiders were long classified into families that were then grouped into superfamilies, some of which were in turn placed into a number of higher taxa below the level of infraorder. When more rigorous approaches, such as cladistics, were applied to spider classification, it became clear that most of the major groupings used in the 20th century were not supported. Many were based on shared characteristics inherited from the ancestors of multiple clades (plesiomorphies), rather than being distinct characteristics originating in the ancestors of that clade only (apomorphies). According to Jonathan A. Coddington in 2005, "books and overviews published prior to the last two decades have been superseded".[22] Listings of spiders, such as the World Spider Catalog, currently ignore classification above the family level.[22][23]

At the higher level, the phylogeny of spiders is now often discussed using informal clade names, such as the "RTA clade",[24] the "Oval Calmistrum" clade or the "Divided Cribellum" clade.[25] Older names previously used formally are used as clade names, e.g. Entelegynae and Orbiculariae.[26]

## Table of families

[edit]

Key  Genera | 1 | ≥2 | ≥10 | ≥100

|
|
|
|

Species | 1–9 | ≥10 | ≥100 | ≥1000
Spider families[note 2] Family | Genera | Species | Common name | Example

|
|
|
|

Mesothelae
Liphistiidae
(including Heptathelidae) | 8 | 194 | segmented spiders | Kimura spider
Opisthothelae: Mygalomorphae
Actinopodidae | 3 | 125 |  | Missulena bradleyi (Eastern mouse spider)
Anamidae | 10 | 143 |  | Aname diversicolor (black wishbone spider)
Antrodiaetidae | 4 | 37 | folding trapdoor spiders | Atypoides riversi
Atracidae | 3 | 38 | Australian funnel-web spiders | Atrax robustus (Sydney funnel-web spider)
Atypidae | 3 | 56 | purseweb spiders | Sphodros rufipes (red-legged purseweb spider)
Barychelidae | 39 | 284 | brushed trapdoor spiders | Sason sundaicum
Bemmeridae | 4 | 50 |  | Spiroctenus personatus
Ctenizidae | 2 | 5 | cork-lid trapdoor spiders | Cteniza sauvagesi
Cyrtaucheniidae | 6 | 109 | wafer-lid trapdoor spiders |
Dipluridae | 8 | 146 | curtain-web spiders | Diplura lineata
Entypesidae | 7 | 41 |  | Entypesa andohahela
Euagridae | 14 | 87 |  | Euagrus formosanus
Euctenizidae | 8 | 78 |  | Aptostichus simus
Halonoproctidae | 6 | 141 |  | Bothriocyrtum californicum (California trapdoor spider)
Hexathelidae | 7 | 45 | (Australian) funnel-web spiders | Hexathele hochstetteri
Hexurellidae | 1 | 8 |  | Hexurella pinea
Idiopidae | 23 | 446 | armored trapdoor spiders | Idiosoma nigrum (black rugose trapdoor spider)
Ischnothelidae | 5 | 26 |  | Ischnothele caudata
Macrothelidae | 2 | 55 |  | Macrothele calpeiana (Spanish funnel-web spider)
Mecicobothriidae | 1 | 2 | dwarf tarantulas or sheet funnel-web spiders | Mecicobothrium thorelli
Megahexuridae | 1 | 1 |  | Megahexura fulva
Microhexuridae | 1 | 2 |  | Microhexura montivaga (Spruce-fir moss spider)
Microstigmatidae | 11 | 38 |  | Envia garciai
Migidae | 11 | 104 | tree trapdoor spiders | Calathotarsus simoni
Nemesiidae | 10 | 188 |  | Aname atra (black wishbone spider)
Paratropididae | 4 | 26 | baldlegged spiders | Paratropis tuxtlensis
Porrhothelidae | 1 | 5 |  | Porrhothele antipodiana (black tunnelweb spider)
Pycnothelidae | 15 | 140 |  | Stanwellia hoggi
Rhytidicolidae | 2 | 15 |  | Fufius lucasae
Stasimopidae | 1 | 56 |  | Stasimopus mandelai
Theraphosidae | 172 | 1133 | tarantulas | Theraphosa blondi (Goliath birdeater)
Opisthothelae: Araneomorphae
Agelenidae | 97 | 1420 | araneomorph funnel-web spiders | Hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis)
Amaurobiidae | 26 | 202 | tangled nest spiders | Callobius claustrarius
Anapidae | 59 | 233 |  | Holarchaea novaeseelandiae
Ancylometidae | 1 | 11 |  |
Anyphaenidae | 58 | 649 | anyphaenid sac spiders | Hibana velox (yellow ghost spider)
Araneidae | 198 | 3144 | orb-weaver spiders | Zygiella x-notata
Archaeidae | 6 | 93 | pelican spiders | Madagascarchaea gracilicollis
Archoleptonetidae | 2 | 8 |  | Archoleptoneta gertschi
Arkyidae | 2 | 38 |  |
Austrochilidae | 2 | 9 |  | Tasmanian cave spider (Hickmania troglodytes)
Caponiidae | 21 | 153 |  | Diploglena capensis
Cheiracanthiidae | 15 | 376 |  | Cheiracanthium mildei'
Cicurinidae | 4 | 172 |  |
Cithaeronidae | 2 | 9 |  |
Clubionidae | 18 | 667 | sac spiders | Clubiona trivialis
Corinnidae | 76 | 876 | dark sac spiders | Castianeira sp.
Ctenidae | 48 | 605 | wandering spiders | Phoneutria fera
Cyatholipidae | 23 | 58 |  |
Cybaeidae | 23 | 301 |  | Cryphoeca silvicola
Cycloctenidae | 8 | 80 |  |
Deinopidae | 3 | 68 | net-casting spiders | Asianopis subrufa (rufous net-casting spider)
Desidae | 63 | 323 | intertidal spiders | Phryganoporus candidus
Dictynidae | 51 | 460 |  | Nigma walckenaeri
Diguetidae | 2 | 16 | coneweb spiders |
Dolomedidae | 7 | 128 |  |
Drymusidae | 2 | 19 | false violin spiders |
Dysderidae | 24 | 653 | woodlouse hunter spiders | Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata)
Eresidae | 9 | 106 | velvet spiders | Eresus sandaliatus
Filistatidae | 18 | 192 | crevice weavers | Southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis)
Fonteferreidae | 1 | 1 |  |
Gallieniellidae | 5 | 41 |  |
Gnaphosidae | 153 | 2479 | flat-bellied ground spiders | Drassodes cupreus
Gradungulidae | 8 | 18 | large-clawed spiders | Progradungula carraiensis (Carrai cave spider)
Hahniidae | 29 | 240 | dwarf sheet spiders |
Hersiliidae | 16 | 187 | tree trunk spiders | Hersilia savignyi
Homalonychidae | 1 | 2 |  |
Huttoniidae | 1 | 1 |  | Huttonia palpimanoides
Hypochilidae | 2 | 33 | lampshade spiders | Hypochilus thorelli
Lamponidae | 23 | 192 |  | White-tailed spider (Lampona spp.)
Leptonetidae | 22 | 397 |  | Tooth Cave spider (Tayshaneta myopica)
Linyphiidae | 640 | 4940 | dwarf / money spiders | Linyphia triangularis
Liocranidae | 35 | 354 | liocranid sac spiders |
Lycosidae | 135 | 2490 | wolf spiders | Lycosa tarantula
Macrobunidae | 26 | 92 |  |
Malkaridae | 13 | 57 | shield spiders |
Mecysmaucheniidae | 7 | 25 |  |
Megadictynidae | 2 | 2 |  |
Mimetidae | 8 | 164 | pirate spiders | Oarces reticulatus
Miturgidae | 33 | 191 | long-legged sac spiders |
Myrmecicultoridae | 1 | 1 |  |
Mysmenidae | 17 | 188 | spurred orb-weavers |
Nesticidae | 16 | 292 | cave cobweb spiders | Nesticella marapu
Nicodamidae | 7 | 27 |  |
Ochyroceratidae | 9 | 184 | midget ground weavers | Theotima minutissima
Oecobiidae | 7 | 129 | disc web spiders | Oecobius navus
Oonopidae | 115 | 1962 | dwarf hunting spiders | Oonops domesticus
Orsolobidae | 30 | 189 |  |
Oxyopidae | 9 | 448 | lynx spiders | Peucetia viridans (green lynx spider)
Pacullidae | 4 | 38 |  |
Palpimanidae | 20 | 182 | palp-footed spiders |
Penestomidae | 1 | 9 |  |
Periegopidae | 1 | 3 |  |
Philodromidae | 30 | 527 | philodromid crab spiders | Philodromus dispar
Pholcidae | 97 | 2029 | daddy long-legs spiders | Pholcus phalangioides
Phrurolithidae | 25 | 410 |  |
Physoglenidae | 13 | 72 |  |
Phyxelididae | 14 | 68 |  |
Pimoidae | 2 | 87 |  | Pimoa cthulhu
Pisauridae | 45 | 236 | nursery web spiders | Pisaura mirabilis
Plectreuridae | 2 | 32 |  |
Prodidomidae | 24 | 195 |  |
Psechridae | 2 | 62 |  |
Psilodercidae | 11 | 224 |  |
Salticidae | 689 | 6808 | jumping spiders | Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus)
Scytodidae | 4 | 253 | spitting spiders | Scytodes thoracica
Segestriidae | 5 | 181 | tubeweb spiders | Segestria florentina
Selenopidae | 9 | 282 | wall spiders | Selenops radiatus
Senoculidae | 1 | 31 |  |
Sicariidae | 3 | 176 | recluse spiders | Brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
Sparassidae | 97 | 1519 | huntsman spiders | Delena cancerides (Avondale spider)
Stenochilidae | 2 | 13 |  |
Stiphidiidae | 20 | 125 |  | Tartarus mullamullangensis
Symphytognathidae | 10 | 104 | dwarf orb-weavers | Patu digua
Synaphridae | 3 | 13 |  |
Synotaxidae | 5 | 38 |  |
Telemidae | 16 | 107 | long-legged cave spiders |
Tetrablemmidae | 27 | 153 | armored spiders |
Tetragnathidae | 45 | 989 | long jawed orb-weavers | Leucauge venusta (orchard spider)
Theridiidae | 131 | 2583 | cobweb spiders | Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
Theridiosomatidae | 22 | 150 | ray spiders | Theridiosoma gemmosum
Thomisidae | 170 | 2169 | crab spiders | Misumena vatia (goldenrod crab spider)
Titanoecidae | 5 | 67 |  | Goeldia obscura
Toxopidae | 14 | 82 |  |
Trachelidae | 29 | 300 |  |
Trachycosmidae | 20 | 148 |  |
Trechaleidae | 17 | 136 |  |
Trochanteriidae | 6 | 52 |  |
Trogloraptoridae | 1 | 1 |  | Trogloraptor marchingtoni
Udubidae | 6 | 57 |  |
Uloboridae | 19 | 283 | hackled orb-weavers | Uloborus walckenaerius
Viridasiidae | 3 | 14 |  |
Xenoctenidae | 4 | 33 |  |
Zodariidae | 90 | 1306 |  | Zodarion germanicum
Zoropsidae | 28 | 186 |  | Zoropsis spinimana

## Notes

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1. ^ a b Species counts from World Spider Catalog (2025, Currently valid spider genera and species), family classification from Coddington (2005, p. 20).
2. ^ Unless otherwise shown, currently accepted families and counts based on the World Spider Catalog version 25.5 as of 8 February 2025[update].[1] In the World Spider Catalog, "species" counts include subspecies. Assignment to sub- and infraorders based on Coddington (2005, p. 20) (when given there).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b World Spider Catalog (2025), Currently valid spider genera and species.
2. ^ a b Dimitrov & Hormiga (2021).
3. ^ Platnick & Raven (2013), p. 600.
4. ^ Platnick & Raven (2013), p. 597.
5. ^ Bond et al. (2014).
6. ^ Coddington (2005).
7. ^ Coddington (2005), p. 20.
8. ^ Griswold et al. (2005).
9. ^ Blackledge et al. (2009), p. 5232.
10. ^ a b Bond et al. (2014), p. 1766.
11. ^ Coddington & Levi (1991), p. 577.
12. ^ Eberhard & Huber (2010), pp. 256–257.
13. ^ Eberhard & Huber (2010), p. 250.
14. ^ a b Coddington (2005), p. 22.
15. ^ Michalik & Ramírez (2014), p. 312.
16. ^ Agnarsson, Coddington & Kuntner (2013), p. 40.
17. ^ Hormiga & Griswold (2014), p. 488.
18. ^ a b c Hormiga & Griswold (2014), p. 505.
19. ^ Blackledge et al. (2009), Fig. 3.
20. ^ Bond et al. (2014), Fig 3. Web types defined as Blackledge et al. (2009, Fig. 3)
21. ^ Bond et al. (2014), p. 1768.
22. ^ a b Coddington (2005), p. 24.
23. ^ World Spider Catalog (2025).
24. ^ Hormiga & Griswold (2014), p. 491.
25. ^ Ramírez (2014), p. 4.
26. ^ Hormiga & Griswold (2014), pp. 490–491.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Agnarsson, Ingi; Coddington, Jonathan A. & Kuntner, Matjaž (2013). "Systematics : Progress in the study of spider diversity and evolution". In Penney, David (ed.). Spider research in the 21st century: trends & perspectives. Manchester, UK: Siri Scientific Press. ISBN 978-0-9574530-1-2.
* Blackledge, Todd A.; Scharff, Nikolaj; Coddington, Jonathan A.; Szüts, Tamas; Wenzel, John W.; Hayashi, Cheryl Y. & Agnarsson, Ingi (2009). "Reconstructing web evolution and spider diversification in the molecular era". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (13): 5229–5234\. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.5229B. doi:10.1073/pnas.0901377106. PMC 2656561. PMID 19289848.
* Bond, Jason E.; Garrison, Nicole L.; Hamilton, Chris A.; Godwin, Rebecca L.; Hedin, Marshal & Agnarsson, Ingi (2014). "Phylogenomics Resolves a Spider Backbone Phylogeny and Rejects a Prevailing Paradigm for Orb Web Evolution". Current Biology. 24 (15): 1765–1771\. Bibcode:2014CBio...24.1765B. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.034. PMID 25042592.
* Coddington, Jonathan A. (2005). "Phylogeny and classification of spiders" (PDF). In Ubick, D.; Paquin, P.; Cushing, P.E. & Roth, V. (eds.). Spiders of North America: an identification manual. American Arachnological Society. pp. 18–24. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
* Coddington, Jonathan A. & Levi, Herbert W. (1991). "Systematics and evolution of spiders (Araneae)". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 22: 565–592\. Bibcode:1991AnRES..22..565C. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.22.110191.003025. JSTOR 2097274.
* Dimitrov, Dimitar & Hormiga, Gustavo (7 January 2021). "Spider Diversification Through Space and Time". Annual Review of Entomology. 66 (1): 225–241\. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-061520-083414. ISSN 0066-4170. PMID 32822555. S2CID 221235817.
* Eberhard, W.G. & Huber, B.A. (2010). "Spider genitalia: precise manoeuvers with a numb structure in a complex lock" (PDF). In Leonard, Janet L. & Córdoba-Aguilar, Alex (eds.). The evolution of primary sexual characters in animals. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-971703-3. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
* Griswold, C.E.; Ramirez, M.J.; Coddington, J.A. & Platnick, N.I. (2005). "Atlas of phylogenetic data for entelegyne spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae: Entelegynae) with comments on their phylogeny" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 56 (Suppl. 2): 1–324. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
* Hormiga, Gustavo & Griswold, Charles E. (2014). "Systematics, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Orb-Weaving Spiders". Annual Review of Entomology. 59 (1): 487–512\. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162046. PMID 24160416.
* Michalik, Peter & Ramírez, Martín J. (2014). "Evolutionary morphology of the male reproductive system, spermatozoa and seminal fluid of spiders (Araneae, Arachnida)–Current knowledge and future directions". Arthropod Structure & Development. 43 (4): 291–322\. Bibcode:2014ArtSD..43..291M. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2014.05.005. hdl:11336/19081. PMID 24907603.
* Platnick, Norman I. & Raven, Robert J. (2013). "Spider Systematics: Past and Future". Zootaxa. 3683 (5): 595–600\. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3683.5.8. PMID 25250473.
* Ramírez, Martín J. (2014). The morphology and phylogeny of dionychan spiders (Araneae, Araneomorphae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 390\. hdl:2246/6537.
* World Spider Catalog (2025). "World Spider Catalog version 25.5". Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2025-02-08.

## External links

[edit]

* Abbreviations for Insect and Spider Collections of the World
* International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
* European and Australian spiders - info and identification
* Spiders of Europe and Greenland
* Information about the largest spider

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Extant Araneae families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Subphylum: Chelicerata
* Class: Arachnida

Suborder Mesothelae

* Liphistiidae (segmented spiders)
* Heptathelidae (segmented spiders)

Suborder Opisthothelae

| Mygalomorphae|

* Actinopodidae (mouse spiders and relatives)
* Anamidae
* Antrodiaetidae (folding trapdoor spiders)
* Atracidae (Australian funnel-web spiders)
* Atypidae (atypical tarantulas or purseweb spiders)
* Barychelidae (brushed trapdoor spiders)
* Bemmeridae
* Ctenizidae (cork-lid trapdoor spiders)
* Cyrtaucheniidae (wafer trapdoor spiders)
* Dipluridae (funnel-web tarantulas)
* Entypesidae
* Euagridae
* Euctenizidae
* Halonoproctidae
* Hexathelidae (funnel-webs or venomous funnel-web tarantulas)
* Hexurellidae
* Idiopidae
* Ischnothelidae
* Macrothelidae
* Mecicobothriidae (dwarf tarantulas)
* Megahexuridae
* Microhexuridae
* Microstigmatidae
* Migidae (tree trapdoor spiders)
* Nemesiidae (funnel-web tarantulas)
* Paratropididae (bald-legged spiders)
* Porrhothelidae
* Pycnothelidae
* Rhytidicolidae
* Stasimopidae
* Theraphosidae (true tarantulas)

Araneomorphae|

| Non-entelegynes|

* Archaeidae (pelican spiders)
* Archoleptonetidae
* Austrochilidae
* Caponiidae
* Diguetidae (coneweb spiders)
* Drymusidae (false violin spiders)
* Dysderidae (woodlouse hunters)
* Filistatidae (crevice weaver spiders)
* Gradungulidae (large-clawed spiders)
* Huttoniidae
* Hypochilidae (lampshade spiders)
* Leptonetidae
* Mecysmaucheniidae
* Ochyroceratidae (midget ground weavers)
* Oonopidae (goblin spiders)
* Orsolobidae
* Pacullidae
* Palpimanidae (palp-footed spiders)
* Periegopidae
* Pholcidae (cellar spiders)
* Plectreuridae
* Psilodercidae
* Scytodidae (spitting spiders)
* Segestriidae (tube-dwelling spiders)
* Sicariidae (violin spiders, assassin spiders)
* Stenochilidae
* Telemidae (long-legged cave spiders)
* Tetrablemmidae (armored spiders)
* Trogloraptoridae (Trogloraptor marchingtoni)

Entelegynae|

* Agelenidae (araneomorph funnel weavers)
* Amaurobiidae (tangled nest spiders)
* Anapidae
* Ancylometidae
* Anyphaenidae (anyphaenid sac spiders)
* Araneidae (orb-weaver spiders)
* Arkyidae
* Cheiracanthiidae
* Cicurinidae
* Cithaeronidae
* Clubionidae (sac spiders)
* Corinnidae (dark sac spiders)
* Ctenidae (wandering spiders or tropical wolf spiders)
* Cyatholipidae
* Cybaeidae
* Cycloctenidae
* Deinopidae (net-casting spiders)
* Desidae (intertidal spiders)
* Dictynidae
* Dolomedidae
* Eresidae (velvet spiders)
* Fonteferreidae
* Gallieniellidae
* Gnaphosidae (flat-bellied ground spiders)
* Hahniidae (dwarf sheet spiders)
* Hersiliidae (tree trunk spiders)
* Homalonychidae
* Lamponidae (white-tailed spiders)
* Linyphiidae (sheet weavers or money spiders)
* Liocranidae (liocranid sac spiders)
* Lycosidae (wolf spiders)
* Macrobunidae
* Malkaridae (shield spiders)
* Megadictynidae
* Mimetidae (pirate spiders)
* Miturgidae
* Myrmecicultoridae
* Mysmenidae (spurred orb-weavers)
* Nesticidae (cave cobweb spiders)
* Nicodamidae (red and black spiders)
* Oecobiidae (disc web spiders)
* Oxyopidae (lynx spiders)
* Penestomidae
* Philodromidae (running crab spiders)
* Phrurolithidae
* Physoglenidae
* Phyxelididae
* Pimoidae
* Pisauridae (nursery web spiders) (including Halidae)
* Prodidomidae
* Psechridae
* Salticidae (jumping spiders)
* Selenopidae
* Senoculidae (bark hunters)
* Sparassidae (huntsman spiders)
* Stiphidiidae
* Symphytognathidae (dwarf orb-weavers)
* Synaphridae
* Synotaxidae
* Tetragnathidae (long jawed orb-weavers)
* Theridiidae (tangle-web spiders)
* Theridiosomatidae (ray spiders)
* Thomisidae (crab spiders)
* Titanoecidae
* Toxopidae
* Trachelidae
* Trachycosmidae
* Trechaleidae
* Trochanteriidae
* Udubidae
* Uloboridae (cribellate orb weavers)
* Viridasiidae
* Xenoctenidae
* Zodariidae (ant spiders)
* Zoropsidae

* Spider taxonomy
* Bold are families with more than 1000 species

* v
* t
* e

Taxonomy of ...

Life|

| Prokaryotes|

* Bacterial taxonomy

|

Eukaryotes|

* Protists
* Diatoms

| Plants|

* Plant taxonomy
* Cultivated plant taxonomy
* Allium
* Liliaceae
* Tulipa
* Narcissus
* Orchidaceae
* Triticum
* Adenanthos
* Banksia
* B. integrifolia
* Cactaceae
* Citrus
* Drosera
* Pachypodium

|

Animals|

* Animals (2003)

| Invertebrates|

* Invertebrates (2003)
* Commonly fossilised invertebrates
* Brachiopoda

| Gastropods|

* Gastropoda
* 2017
* 2005
* 1997
* Conoidea
* Bivalvia (2010)

|

Arthropods|

* Araneae
* Scorpiones
* Dermaptera
* Anopheles
* Lepidoptera
* Lucanidae

Vertebrates|

* Vertebrates (1962)
* Lemuridae
* Homo sapiens

Other|

* Virus classification

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