Araneomorphae

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Araneomorph spiders
Temporal range: Triassic–present
Nephila inaurata1.JPG
Nephila inaurata (Nephilidae)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Suborder: Opisthothelae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Subdivisions
Diversity
95 families

The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha or "true spiders" [1] ) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their close kin), where they point straight down. Araneomorphs comprise the vast majority (about 93% [2] ) of living spiders.

Contents

Distinguishing characteristics

Most spider species are Araneomorphae, which have fangs that face towards each other, increasing the orientations that they can employ during prey-capture. They have fewer book lungs (when present) – usually one pair – and the females typically live one year.

The Mygalomorphae have fangs that face towards the ground, and which are parallel to the long axis of the spider's body, thus they have only one orientation they can employ during prey capture. They have two pairs of book lungs, and the females often live many years. [3]

Spiders included

Almost all of the familiar spiders are included in the Araneomorphae group, one major exception being the tarantulas. There are a few other Mygalomorphae species that live around homes or gardens, but they typically are relatively small and not easily noticed.

The Araneomorphae, to the contrary, include the weavers of spiral webs; the cobweb spiders that live in the corners of rooms, and between windows and screens; the crab spiders that lurk on the surfaces of flowers in gardens; the jumping spiders that are visible hunting on surfaces; the wolf spiders that carpet hunting sites in sunny spots; and the large huntsman spiders.

Systematics

In older schemes, the Araneomorphae were divided into two lineages, the Hypochilae (containing only the family Hypochilidae), and the Neocribellatae. The Neocribellatae were in turn divided into the Austrochiloidea, and the two series Haplogynae and Entelogynae, each containing several superfamilies. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the haplogynes in particular are not a monophyletic group. A 2020 study suggested the relationships among the major groups were as shown in the following cladogram. [4]

Araneomorphae
Haplogynae

The blue bar to the right shows the former Haplogynae in the sense of Coddington (2005). [5]

Table of families

Key
Genera1≥2≥10≥100
Species1–9≥10≥100≥1000
Araneomorphae families [notes 1]
FamilyGeneraSpeciesCommon nameExample
Agelenidae 971420araneomorph funnel-web spiders Hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis)
Amaurobiidae 26202tangled nest spiders Callobius claustrarius
Anapidae 59233 Holarchaea novaeseelandiae
Ancylometidae 111
Anyphaenidae 58649anyphaenid sac spiders Hibana velox (yellow ghost spider)
Araneidae 1983144orb-weaver spiders Zygiella x-notata
Archaeidae 693pelican spiders Madagascarchaea gracilicollis
Archoleptonetidae 28 Archoleptoneta gertschi
Arkyidae 238
Austrochilidae 29 Tasmanian cave spider (Hickmania troglodytes)
Caponiidae 21153 Diploglena capensis
Cheiracanthiidae 15376 Cheiracanthium mildei'
Cicurinidae 4172
Cithaeronidae 29
Clubionidae 18667sac spiders Clubiona trivialis
Corinnidae 76876dark sac spiders Castianeira sp.
Ctenidae 48605wandering spiders Phoneutria fera
Cyatholipidae 2358
Cybaeidae 23301 Cryphoeca silvicola
Cycloctenidae 880
Deinopidae 368net-casting spiders Asianopis subrufa (rufous net-casting spider)
Desidae 63323intertidal spiders Phryganoporus candidus
Dictynidae 51460 Nigma walckenaeri
Diguetidae 216coneweb spiders
Dolomedidae 7128
Drymusidae 219false violin spiders
Dysderidae 24653woodlouse hunter spiders Woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata)
Eresidae 9106velvet spiders Eresus sandaliatus
Filistatidae 18192crevice weavers Southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis)
Fonteferreidae 11
Gallieniellidae 541
Gnaphosidae 1532479flat-bellied ground spiders Drassodes cupreus
Gradungulidae 818large-clawed spiders Progradungula carraiensis (Carrai cave spider)
Hahniidae 29240dwarf sheet spiders
Hersiliidae 16187tree trunk spiders Hersilia savignyi
Homalonychidae 12
Huttoniidae 11 Huttonia palpimanoides
Hypochilidae 233lampshade spiders Hypochilus thorelli
Lamponidae 23192 White-tailed spider (Lampona spp.)
Leptonetidae 22397 Tooth Cave spider (Tayshaneta myopica)
Linyphiidae 6404940dwarf / money spiders Linyphia triangularis
Liocranidae 35354liocranid sac spiders
Lycosidae 1352490wolf spiders Lycosa tarantula
Macrobunidae 2692
Malkaridae 1357shield spiders
Mecysmaucheniidae 725
Megadictynidae 22
Mimetidae 8164pirate spiders Oarces reticulatus
Miturgidae 33191long-legged sac spiders
Myrmecicultoridae 11
Mysmenidae 17188spurred orb-weavers
Nesticidae 16292cave cobweb spiders Nesticella marapu
Nicodamidae 727
Ochyroceratidae 9184midget ground weavers Theotima minutissima
Oecobiidae 7129disc web spiders Oecobius navus
Oonopidae 1151962dwarf hunting spiders Oonops domesticus
Orsolobidae 30189
Oxyopidae 9448lynx spiders Peucetia viridans (green lynx spider)
Pacullidae 438
Palpimanidae 20182palp-footed spiders
Penestomidae 19
Periegopidae 13
Philodromidae 30527philodromid crab spiders Philodromus dispar
Pholcidae 972029daddy long-legs spiders Pholcus phalangioides
Phrurolithidae 25410
Physoglenidae 1372
Phyxelididae 1468
Pimoidae 287 Pimoa cthulhu
Pisauridae 45236nursery web spiders Pisaura mirabilis
Plectreuridae 232
Prodidomidae 24195
Psechridae 262
Psilodercidae 11224
Salticidae 6896808jumping spiders Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus)
Scytodidae 4253spitting spiders Scytodes thoracica
Segestriidae 5181tubeweb spiders Segestria florentina
Selenopidae 9282wall spiders Selenops radiatus
Senoculidae 131
Sicariidae 3176recluse spiders Brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
Sparassidae 971519huntsman spiders Delena cancerides (Avondale spider)
Stenochilidae 213
Stiphidiidae 20125 Tartarus mullamullangensis
Symphytognathidae 10104dwarf orb-weavers Patu digua
Synaphridae 313
Synotaxidae 538
Telemidae 16107long-legged cave spiders
Tetrablemmidae 27153armored spiders
Tetragnathidae 45989long jawed orb-weavers Leucauge venusta (orchard spider)
Theridiidae 1312583cobweb spiders Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
Theridiosomatidae 22150ray spiders Theridiosoma gemmosum
Thomisidae 1702169crab spiders Misumena vatia (goldenrod crab spider)
Titanoecidae 567 Goeldia obscura
Toxopidae 1482
Trachelidae 29300
Trachycosmidae 20148
Trechaleidae 17136
Trochanteriidae 652
Trogloraptoridae 11 Trogloraptor marchingtoni
Udubidae 657
Uloboridae 19283hackled orb-weavers Uloborus walckenaerius
Viridasiidae 314
Xenoctenidae 433
Zodariidae 901306 Zodarion germanicum
Zoropsidae 28186 Zoropsis spinimana


Extinct families

Notes

  1. Unless otherwise shown, currently accepted families and counts based on the World Spider Catalog version 25.5 as of 7 February 2025. [6] In the World Spider Catalog, "species" counts include subspecies. Assignment to sub- and infraorders based on Coddington (2005, p. 20) (when given there).

References

Citations

  1. Coddington, J.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. ISBN   978-0-9771439-0-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  2. Bern, Natural History Museum. "NMBE - World Spider Catalog". research.amnh.org. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  3. "ABOUT SPIDERS". www.publish.csiro.au. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  4. Magalhaes, Ivan L. F.; Azevedo, Guilherme H. F.; Michalik, Peter; Ramírez, Martín J. (February 2020). "The fossil record of spiders revisited: implications for calibrating trees and evidence for a major faunal turnover since the Mesozoic". Biological Reviews. 95 (1): 184–217. doi:10.1111/brv.12559. ISSN   1464-7931. PMID   31713947. S2CID   207937170.
  5. 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.
  6. "Currently valid spider genera and species". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2025-02-07. Currently valid spider genera and species