Spider taxonomy

Spider taxonomy is the alpha taxonomy

Alpha taxonomy

Alpha taxonomy is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms, thus leading to the recognition of proposed taxonomic groups, or taxa , which may then be named....

 of the spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing chelicerate arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae modified into fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

s, members of the Araneae order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 of the arthropod class

Class (biology)

In biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...

 Arachnida with about 40,000 described species. However there are likely many species that have escaped the human eye to this day, and many specimens stored in collections

Collection (museum)

A museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions, education, research, etc. This differentiates it from an archive or library, where the contents may be more paper-based, replaceable and less exhibition oriented...

 waiting to be described and classified. It is estimated that only one third to one fifth of existing species have been described.

Arachnology

Arachnology

Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related organisms such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. However, the study of ticks and mites is sometimes not included in arachnology, but is called Acarology...

 currently divides spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing chelicerate arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae modified into fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

s into three suborders with about 38 superfamilies

Taxonomic rank

In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. The most basic rank is that of species, the next most important is genus, and then family...

, and 111 families. Seven of the 111 families are incertae sedis

Incertae sedis

Incertae sedis , abbreviated "inc. sed.", is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined.-Examples:The taxonomy for humans is usually recognized as follows:...

, meaning that their placement into superfamilies is not agreed upon; several other families are not placed in any superfamily.

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 can never reflect the present status with total accuracy. Nevertheless, the species numbers given here are useful as a guideline.

See a table of Araneae families at the end of the article with some genera

Genera

Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...

 and species listed for each family (only identified species are included).

Suborder Mesothelae

Mesothelae

Mesothelae

The Mesothelae are a suborder of spiders that includes the extinct families Arthrolycosidae and Arthromygalidae and the only extant family Liphistiidae....

 resemble the Solifugae

Solifugae

Solifugae is an order of Arachnida, containing more than 1,000 described species in about 140 genera. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun. The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea and Mycetophorae...

 ("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
  Arthrolycosidae
  Arthrolycosidae is an extinct family of primitive spiders that bear some resemblance to the wolf spiders....
  
   (primitive spiders)
• Arthromygalidae
  Arthromygalidae
  The Arthromygalidae are an extinct family of primitive fossil spiders that bear some resemblance to the tarantulas....
  
   (primitive spiders)
• Liphistiidae
  Liphistiidae
  The spider family Liphistiidae comprises 5 genera and 85 species from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. They are among the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae...
  
   (primitive burrowing spiders)

Suborder Opisthothelae

Suborder Opisthothelae contains the spiders that have no plates on their abdomens. It can be somewhat difficult on casual inspection to determine whether the chelicerae of members are of the sort that would put them into the infraorder of the mygalomorphs or the infraorder of the Araneomorphs. The spiders that are called "tarantulas" in English are so large and hairy that inspection of their chelicerae 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 the 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 by Mygalomorphs.

Infraorder Mygalomorphae

Spiders in infraorder Mygalomorphae

Mygalomorphae

The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:...

 are characterized by the vertical orientation of their chelicerae and the possession of four book lungs.

Infraorder Araneomorphae

Most, if not all, of the spiders one encounters in everyday life belong to infraorder Araneomorphae

Araneomorphae

The Araneomorphae are a suborder of spiders. They are distinguished by having chelicerae that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae , where they point straight down...

. It includes a wide range from the spiders that weave their beautiful orb webs in the garden, the more chaotic-looking webs of the cobweb spiders that frequent window frames and the corners of rooms, the crab spiders that lurk waiting for nectar- and pollen-gathering insects on flowers, to the jumping spiders that patrol the outside walls of a dwelling, and so on. They are characterized by having chelicerae

Chelicerae

The chelicerae are mouth parts of the Chelicerata, an arthropod subphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata , and Pycnogonida . Chelicerae are pointed appendages which are used to grasp food, and are found in place of the chewing mandibles most other arthropods have...

 whose tips approach each other as they bite, and (usually) having one pair of book lungs.

Some important spider families are :-

• Pholcidae (daddy long-legs spider
  Daddy long-legs spider
  The Pholcidae are a spider family in the suborder Araneomorphae.Some species, especially Pholcus phalangioides, are commonly called granddaddy long-legs spider, daddy long-legs spider, daddy long-legger, cellar spider, vibrating spider, or house spider...
  
  s)

These spiders are frequently seen in cellars. When light contact disturbs their web their characteristic response is to set the entire web moving the way a person would jump up and down on a trampoline. It is unclear why they cause their webs to vibrate in this way; moving their webs back and forward may increase the possibility that insects flying close by may be ensnared, or the rapid gyrations caused by the spider in its web may make the spider harder to target by predators.

• Plectreuridae (plectreurid spider
  Plectreurid spider
  Plectreurid spiders belong to a small family confined to the North American deserts and the island of Cuba. Only two genera are known - the nominate genus Plectreurys and Kibramoa...
  
  s)

• Salticidae (jumping spider
  Jumping spider
  The jumping spider family contains more than 500 described genera and over 5,000 species, making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have good vision and use it for hunting and navigating. They are capable of jumping from place to place, secured by a...
  
  s)

The family of Araneae commonly called jumping spiders have a characteristic cephalothorax shapes, as shown in the diagram below. They have eight eyes, two of them very prominent, and excellent vision. Their maximum size is perhaps 13/16 inch (20 mm), but many species are much smaller than that. The largest North American species such as Phidippus regius, P. octopunctatis, etc., are so heavy bodied that they cannot jump far. The smaller species of jumping spider can jump many times their own body length. They hunt by first getting within range of a prey animal such as a fly, securing a silken "climbing rope" to their current perch, and then jumping onto their prey and biting it. Many seem to take unerring aim at the neck of their prey. Should they jump from one twig to another in an attempt to capture prey and miss or get knocked off the second twig by their struggling prey then they are protected from falling by their silken lifeline. At night these spiders usually retreat to a silken "puptent" that they construct for their own protection and, when needed, as a place to deposit their eggs. They are frequently seen in sunlit areas on walls, tree trunks, and other such vertical surfaces. They are perhaps the only family of spiders who will take cognizance of a human in their general area and then turn their bodies and elevate their cephalothoraxes to keep the human under observation. If approached closely, e.g., with the lens of a camera, some of them may choose to jump onto the nearby object to explore it. This behavior may be alarming but it never seems to be aggressive since these spiders are unwilling to attack prey that are very much larger than they are.

Table of Families

Families listed in boldface contain one or more species which are believed to be venomous to humans.

1

<10

>=10

>=100

>=1000

Spider families

(July 20, 2007)

Suborder	Superfamily	Family	Genera	Species	Common name	Example
Mesothelae Mesothelae The Mesothelae are a suborder of spiders that includes the extinct families Arthrolycosidae and Arthromygalidae and the only extant family Liphistiidae....		Liphistiidae Liphistiidae The spider family Liphistiidae comprises 5 genera and 85 species from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. They are among the most basal living spiders, belonging to the suborder Mesothelae...	5	87	segmented spiders	Kimura-gumo Kimura-gumo The kimura-gumo or kimura spider is an Old World spider, found primarily in Japan and named after Kimura Arika, who discovered it in 1920. It belongs to the sub-order Mesothelae and can reach up to 3 cm in length...
Mygalomorphae Mygalomorphae The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:...	Mecicobothrioidea Mecicobothrioidea The Mecicobothrioidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. The spiders in this group are among the smallest mygalomorph spiders known. The superfamily contains two families of spiders:* Mecicobothriidae, the dwarf tarantulas* Microstigmatidae....	Mecicobothriidae	4	9	dwarf tarantulas
		Microstigmatidae Microstigmatidae The Microstigmatidae are a small spider family with fifteen described species in seven genera. They are small ground-dwelling and free-living spiders that make little use of silk.The family was removed form the family Dipluridae in 1981...	7	14		Envia garciai Envia garciai Envia garciai is a small pale yellow species of mygalomorph spider from Brazil. It is the only described species in genus Envia....
	Hexatheloidea	Hexathelidae Hexathelidae The spider family Hexathelidae, the only family in the super-family Hexatheloidea, is one of two families of spiders known as funnel-web tarantulas...	11	86	venomous funnel-web tarantulas	Sydney funnel-web spider
	Dipluroidea	Dipluridae Dipluridae Funnel-web tarantulas , are a group of spiders in the infraorder Mygalomorphae, that have two pairs of booklungs, and chelicerae that move up and down in a stabbing motion...	24	175	funnel-web tarantulas	Spruce-fir moss spider
	Nemesioidea	Nemesiidae Nemesiidae The Nemesiidae are a spider family of the infraorder Mygalomorphae, and the only member of the superfamily Nemesioidea. They were formerly considered part of the Dipluridae family.-Description:...	41	339		Black wishbone spider Aname atra The black wishbone spider is a mygalomorph spider of South Australia.Wishbone spiders belong to one of three very similar genera: Aname, Chenistonia and Namea.-References:...
	Theraphosoidea Theraphosoidea The Theraphosoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Theraphosidae, the true tarantulas* Paratropididae, the bald-legged spiders....	Theraphosidae	113	903	tarantulas	Goliath birdeater Goliath birdeater The Goliath Bird-eating Spider is an arachnid belonging to the tarantula family, Theraphosidae, and is considered to be the largest spider in the world...
		Paratropididae Paratropididae The baldlegged spiders are a small spider family with eight species. They are related to tarantulas.-Species:The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan.* Glabropelmatinae Raven, 1985...	4	8	baldlegged spiders
	Barycheloidea	Barychelidae Barychelidae The Brushed trapdoor spiders are a spider family with about 300 species in 44 genera. This family is the only family in superfamily Barycheloidea....	44	300	trapdoor baboon spiders	Sason sundaicum Sason sundaicum Sason sundaicum is a species of barychelid trapdoor spiders that is found on trees near the sea, usually closer than 100 meters, although distances of up to five kilometers have been observed. They build short nests with two opposing trapdoors, often attached to the bark of living trees, for...
	Atypoidea Atypoidea The Atypoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Atypidae* Antrodiaetidae...	Atypidae	3	43	purse web spiders	Red legged purseweb spider Sphodros rufipes The Red legged purseweb spider is an endangered mygalomorph spider from the southern USA, though it has been photographed as far north as Indiana, Missouri and New Jersey...
		Antrodiaetidae Antrodiaetidae The folding trapdoor spiders are a small spider family with about 30 species in three genera. They are related to the Atypidae .-Distribution:...	2	32	folding trapdoor spiders	Atypoides riversi
	Cyrtauchenioidea	Cyrtaucheniidae	18	126	wafer trapdoor spiders	Aptostichus simus
	Idiopoidea	Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae Idiopidae (superfamily Idiopoidea are a mygalomorph spider family. They have a large body that often looks rather like a tarantula.-Description:In some species the males have a spur on their legs, which they will show if provoked....	22	281		Black rugose trapdoor spider
	Ctenizoidea	Ctenizidae	9	121	cork-lid trapdoor spiders	Cteniza sauvagesi Cteniza sauvagesi Cteniza sauvagesi is a trapdoor spider in the family Ctenizidae. It can reach 20 mm in body length, and is dark and sturdy, with a shining head. The species occurs in the Mediterranean region, mainly on Corsica and Sardinia. Their burrows are lined with silk, more so than with Nemesiidae spiders....
	Migoidea Migoidea The Migoidea are a superfamily of mygalomorph spiders. They contain two families of spiders:* Migidae* Actinopodidae...	Migidae Migidae The tree trapdoor spiders are a spider family with about 90 species in 10 genera.These small spiders are not hairy.They build burrows with a trapdoor...	10	91	tree trapdoor spiders
		Actinopodidae Actinopodidae The spider family Actinopodidae is a family of mygalomorph spiders found in Australia, South America, and Central America. It includes the Australian genus Missulena, known as the mouse spiders, which are quite venomous.-Genera:...	3	41		Mouse spider Mouse spider Mouse spiders are spiders of the genus Missulena, in the mygalomorph family Actinopodidae. There are 11 known species in this genus, all but one of which are indigenous to Australia. One species, M. tussulena, is found in Chile...
Araneomorphae Araneomorphae The Araneomorphae are a suborder of spiders. They are distinguished by having chelicerae that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae , where they point straight down...	Hypochiloidea	Hypochilidae	2	11	lampshade spiders	Hypochilus thorelli
	Austrochiloidea Austrochiloidea The Austrochiloidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Austrochilidae* Gradungulidae...	Austrochilidae Austrochilidae The Austrochilidae are a small spider family with nine species in three genera.Two genera are endemic to the Andean forests of central and southern Chile and adjacent Argentina, the third is endemic to Tasmania.-Species:...	3	9		Tasmanian cave spider
		Gradungulidae Gradungulidae The Gradungulidae are a small spider family with 16 species in seven genera. They are medium to large three-clawed haplogyne spiders with two pairs of book-lungs .The genus Gradungula lives in forest litter...	7	16	large-clawed spiders	Carrai Cave Spider Progradungula carraiensis Progradungula carraiensis, or Carrai cave spider, is a cribellate spider found only in the moist forests and limestone caves of the Carrai Plateau in northern New South Wales.These spiders are 8 to 12 mm long, with long and slender legs...
	Filistatoidea	Filistatidae	16	110	crevice weavers	Southern house spider Southern house spider The Southern house spider is a member of the genus Kukulcania and are large North American spiders which exhibit strong sexual dimorphism. The males very closely resemble brown recluses, having similar coloration and body structure, though they have slender bodies and are uniformly brown, unlike...
	Scytodoidea Scytodoidea The Scytodoidea are a superfamily of spiders. They contain four families of six-eyed spiders:* Drymusidae* Periegopidae* Scytodidae* Sicariidae...	Drymusidae Drymusidae The Drymusidae are a small spider family with ten species in one genus. They are also called false violin spiders or leaf-litter spiders. They resemble the violin spider or recluse spider , but other than these build a web...	1	14	false violin spiders
		Periegopidae Periegopidae The spider family Periegopidae consists of only one genus, with two described species. It was set apart from the Archaeidae in 1995 by R. R. Forster....	1	2
		Scytodidae	5	192	spitting spiders	Scytodes thoracica Scytodes thoracica Scytodes thoracica is a spitting spider. In Northern Europe they can only be found in houses. The carapace is unusual in sloping upwards towards its rear end, whereas the abdomen slopes downwards. It has six eyes. This spider occurs in the Holarctic, and on Islands in the Pacific.-External links:*...
		Sicariidae Sicariidae The spider family Sicariidae is a family of venomous spiders known for their necrotic venom. The members of this family, like most Haplogynae, have only six eyes, rather than eight . The family consists of two genera, Loxosceles and Sicarius, and 122 species...	2	122	recluse spiders	Brown recluse
	Leptonetoidea Leptonetoidea The Leptonetoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain three families of six-eyed spiders:* Leptonetidae* Ochyroceratidae* Telemidae...	Leptonetidae	15	201	leptonetid spiders	Tooth cave spider Tooth cave spider The tooth cave spider is a 1/16 inch long arachnid. It is endemic to Texas and is considered an endangered species....
		Ochyroceratidae Ochyroceratidae The Ochyroceratidae are a six-eyed spider family in the Leptonetoidea superfamily, with 154 described species in 14 genera.Ochyroceratidae are common inhabitants of the tropical forest litter and caves in South Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, especially species rich in the Indo-Pacific, where they...	14	154	midget ground weavers	Theotima minutissima Theotima minutissima Theotima minutissima is a minute spider.-Distribution:T. minutissima occurs in Panama, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Guam. It is especially abundant in the tropical forest leaf litter on El Yunque, Puerto Rico....
		Telemidae Telemidae The Telemidae are a six-eyed spider family with 22 described species in seven genera.-Species:Apneumonella Fage, 1921* Apneumonella jacobsoni Brignoli, 1977 * Apneumonella oculata Fage, 1921...	7	22	long-legged cave spiders
	Pholcoidea Pholcoidea The Pholcoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of six-eyed spiders:* Diguetidae* Pholcidaeand one family of eight-eyed spiders:* Plectreuridae...	Diguetidae	2	15	coneweb spiders
		Pholcidae	81	969	daddy long-legs spiders	Daddy long-leg spider Pholcus phalangioides For information about the entire family of similar-looking spiders, see Pholcidae.Pholcus phalangioides, the daddy-long-legs spider or cellar spider , is a spider of the family Pholcidae. Females have a body length of about 9 mm; males are slightly smaller...
		Plectreuridae	2	30	plectreurid spiders
	Caponioidea Caponioidea The Caponioidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of six-eyed spiders:* Caponiidae* TetrablemmidaeSome species of Caponiidae have four, or two eyes....	Caponiidae Caponiidae Spiders of the ecribellate haplogyne family Caponiidae are unusual in that most species have only two eyes, which is unheard of in other spiders. Other species have four, six or eight eyes...	11	70		Two-eyed orange spider
		Tetrablemmidae Tetrablemmidae The Tetrablemmidae are a spider family with 126 described species in 29 genera that occur throughout the world tropics. They are sometimes called armored spiders....	29	126	armored spiders
	Dysderoidea Dysderoidea The Dysderoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain four families of six-eyed spiders:* Dysderidae* Oonopidae* Orsolobidae* Segestriidae...	Dysderidae Dysderidae The family Dysderidae are araneomorph spiders found primarily in Eurasia, although extending into North Africa, with very few species occurring in South America, and one introduced into many regions of the world.Dysderids have six eyes, and are haplogyne, i.e...	24	494	woodlouse hunter spiders	Woodlouse spider Woodlouse spider The woodlouse spider is a species of spider that preys exclusively upon woodlice.-Appearance:Female specimens are 11-15 mm long whilst males are 9-10 mm.They have a dark-red thorax and legs, and a yellow-brown abdomen...
		Oonopidae	72	487	dwarf hunting spiders	Oonops domesticus Oonops domesticus Oonops domesticus is a tiny spider from Western Europe to Russia. It is of a bleak light red, with a reddish to whitish abdomen. It is found only in buildings, where it builds a retreat in corners and between old paper. It hunts at night, probably with booklice their common prey...
		Orsolobidae Orsolobidae The Orsolobidae are a six-eyed spider family with about 180 described species in 28 genera. They were separated from the Dysderidae. Several genera were transferred from the Oonopidae.-Distribution:...	28	178
		Segestriidae	3	106	tubeweb spiders	Segestria florentina Segestria florentina Segestria florentina is the biggest European segestriid spider. Some common names are tube web spider or cellar spider, although neither are exclusive to this species.-Description:...
	Eresoidea Eresoidea The Eresoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain three families of eight-eyed spiders:* Eresidae* Hersiliidae* Oecobiidae...	Eresidae	10	101	velvet spiders	Ladybird spider Eresus Eresus is a genus of velvet spiders comprising several species, including Eresus cinnaberinus and Eresus sandaliatus, both of which are sometimes known as the "Ladybird spider".-Species:...
		Hersiliidae	11	158	tree trunk spiders	Two-tailed spider
		Oecobiidae Oecobiidae The spider family Oecobiidae consists of about 100 species.They are rather small ; some of them build tiny webs close to the ceiling in people's homes...	6	103	disc web spiders	Oecobius navus Oecobius navus Oecobius navus is a small cosmopolitan cribellate spider species of about 2-3mm. It is light grey with darkly annulated legs. It builds flat webs with lateral openings with a diameter of about 3cm under rocks, on ceilings and along the corners of walls with protruding signaling threads.Although...
	Archaeoidea Archaeoidea The Archaeoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain five families of eight-eyed spiders:* Archaeidae* Holarchaeidae* Mecysmaucheniidae* Micropholcommatidae* Pararchaeidae...	Archaeidae Archaeidae The Archaeidae are a spider family with 25 described species in three genera.Their common name pelican spider stems from their specialised anatomy: They evolved elongated jaws and neck for catching other spiders.-Distribution:...	3	25	pelican spiders	Assassin spider
		Holarchaeidae Holarchaeidae The Holarchaeidae are a spider family with only two described species in one genus.They are only up to 1.5mm in size and shiny black to beige in color...	1	2
		Mecysmaucheniidae Mecysmaucheniidae The Mecysmaucheniidae are a spider family with 25 described species in seven genera.-Distribution:Most genera only occur in South America The Mecysmaucheniidae are a spider family with 25 described species in seven genera.-Distribution:Most genera only occur in South America The Mecysmaucheniidae...	7	25
		Micropholcommatidae Micropholcommatidae The Micropholcommatidae are a spider family with 33 described species in eight genera.-Distribution:Almost all genera are endemic to New Zealand and Australia, with two genera found in South America.-Taxonomy:...	8	33
		Pararchaeidae Pararchaeidae The Pararchaeidae are a spider family with 34 described species in seven genera.-Genera:Anarchaea Rix, 2006* Anarchaea corticola * Anarchaea falcata Rix, 2006...	7	34
	Palpimanoidea Palpimanoidea The Palpimanoidea are a superfamily of eight-eyed spiders, with three containing families:* Huttoniidae* Palpimanidae* StenochilidaeThe Palpimanoidea are the only spider group with no cribellate members....	Huttoniidae Huttoniidae Huttonia palpimanoides is a spider in its own family, Huttonidae.The species is endemic to New Zealand. Fossils of this class have been found from Cretaceous amber from Alberta and Manitoba, Canada, extending the known geological age of the Huttoniidae back about 80 million years, and supporting...	1	1		Huttonia palpimanoides
		Palpimanidae Palpimanidae The Palp-footed spiders are a spider family with about 130 described species in 15 genera.Instead of the normal six, Palpimanidae have only two spinnerets. Their first legs are greatly enlarged.. All species produce ecribellate silk . Palpimanidae have six eyes, a red cephalothorax, very strong...	15	128	palp-footed spiders
		Stenochilidae Stenochilidae The Stenochilidae are a spider family with twelve described species in two genera. All species produce ecribellate silk .-Species:Colopea Simon, 1893* Colopea laeta...	2	12
	Mimetoidea Mimetoidea The Mimetoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Malkaridae* Mimetidae...	Malkaridae Malkaridae The Malkaridae are a small spider family with ten species in four genera.-Species:Carathea Moran, 1986* Carathea miyali Moran, 1986 — Tasmania* Carathea parawea Moran, 1986 — Tasmania...	4	10	shield spiders
		Mimetidae	12	152	pirate spiders	Oarces reticulatus Oarces reticulatus Oarces reticulatus is a spider species in the family Mimetidae.It is endemic to Chile and adjacent Argentina, where it is widespread.-References:...
	Uloboroidea Uloboroidea The Uloboroidea are a superfamily of cribellate araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Deinopidae* Uloboridae...	Deinopidae Deinopidae The spider family Deinopidae consists of stick-like elongate spiders that build unusual webs that they suspend between the front legs. When prey approaches, the spider will stretch the net to two or three times its relaxed size and propel itself onto the prey, entangling it in the web...	4	57	net-casting spiders	Rufous net-casting spider
		Uloboridae	18	264	hackled orb-weaver	Uloborus walckenaerius Uloborus walckenaerius Uloborus walckenaerius is a spider in the family Uloboridae.Females grow up to 6 mm, males up to 4 mm. It has a dark grey prosoma, covered with white hairs, leaving some dark bands uncovered. The spider lives in warm, open terrain, like heathland, and weaves horizontal cribellate webs...
	Araneoidea Araneoidea The Araneoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain families of eight-eyed spiders:* Anapidae* Araneidae* Cyatholipidae* Linyphiidae* Mysmenidae* Nephilidae* Nesticidae* Pimoidae* Sinopimoidae* Symphytognathidae* Synaphridae...	Anapidae Anapidae The Anapidae are a family of rather small spiders with 145 described species in 35 genera. Most species are less than 2 mm long.In some species the pedipalps of the female are reduced to coxal stumps....	35	145
		Araneidae	166	2845	orb-weaver spiders	Zygiella x-notata Zygiella x-notata Zygiella x-notata is a spider in the family Araneidae.-Description:Z. x-notata females are up to 11mm in size, males up to 7mm. The prosoma is yellow-brown, with a leaf-like mark on the opisthosoma. In moderate climate, adults appear from July to October, sometimes even into December...
		Cyatholipidae Cyatholipidae The Cyatholipidae are a spider family with 58 described species in 23 genera.They were discovered in the late 1800s in Africa. Cyatholipidae live mostly in moist, montane forests...	23	58
		Linyphiidae Linyphiidae Linyphiidae is a family of spiders, including more than 4,300 described species in 578 genera worldwide. This makes Linyphiidae the second largest family of spiders after the Salticidae. New species are still being discovered throughout the world, and the family is poorly known...	570	4323	dwarf / money spiders	Blacktailed red sheetweaver Blacktailed red sheetweaver The blacktailed red sheetweaver, Florinda coccinea, is a species of sheetweaver spider belonging to the family Linyphiidae. This species is common to the United States. These spiders are so small that they can only be clearly seen with a powerful hand lens...
		Mysmenidae Mysmenidae The Mysmenidae are a spider family with almost 100 described species in more than twenty genera.-Distribution:Species occur in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, New Guinea and several islands.-Genera:* Acrobleps Hickman, 1979...	22	92	spurred orb-weavers	Mysmenopsis furtiva Mysmenopsis Mysmenopsis is a kleptoparasitic genus of tiny tropical and subtropical American spiders in the family Mysmenidae. Most live in the funnelwebs of spiders in the family Dipluridae. M. archeri lives on webs of a species in the family Pholcidae, M. capae and M. cienga have been observed living in...
		Nesticidae	9	204	cave cobweb spiders	Nesticella marapu Nesticella marapu Nesticella marapu is an eyeless spider from Sumba, Indonesia. It has long legs and weak pigmentation. It is distinguished by all other species in the genus Nesticella by the beak-shaped paracymbium....
		Pimoidae Pimoidae The Pimoidae spider family is a rather small group of 25 species in three genera. They are monophyletic, and probably closest related to the Linyphiidae.-Distribution:...	3	26		Pimoa altioculata
		Symphytognathidae Symphytognathidae The Symphytognathidae are a spider family with 44 described species in six genera.The minute species Patu digua with its body size of only 0.37mm is considered to be one of the smallest spiders in the world.-Distribution:...	6	45	dwarf orb-weavers	Patu digua Patu digua Patu digua is by some accounts considered to be the smallest spider in the world, with males reaching a body size of about 0.37 mm. However, there are other spider species of similar size where only the female is known. Because male spiders are usually smaller than females, one can assume that...
		Synaphridae Synaphridae The Synaphridae are a spider family with twelve described species in three genera.-Species:Africepheia Miller, 2007* Africepheia madagascariensis Miller, 2007 Cepheia Simon, 1894...	3	12
		Synotaxidae Synotaxidae The Synotaxidae are a spider family with 68 described species in 13 genera.-Distribution:Species of this family occur in Central and South America, New Zealand and Australia.-Genera:The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan's ....	13	68
		Tetragnathidae	51	958	long jawed orb-weavers	Orchard orb weaver
		Nephilidae Nephilidae The Nephilidae are a spider family with 75 described species in four genera. They were formerly grouped in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae...	4	73	large-jawed spiders	Golden orb-web spider Nephila clavipes Nephila clavipes is a species of golden orb-web spider. It lives in the warmer regions of the Americas. The large size and bright colours of the species make it distinctive. The female is much larger than the male....
		Theridiidae	96	2281	cobweb spiders	Black widow spider Black widow spider Latrodectus mactans, the Black widow, is a species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The highly venomous species is native to...
		Theridiosomatidae	12	75	ray spiders	Theridiosoma gemmosum
	Lycosoidea Lycosoidea The Lycosoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph eight-eyed spiders, with twelve families:* Ctenidae* Lycosidae* Neolanidae* Oxyopidae* Pisauridae* Psechridae* Senoculidae* Stiphidiidae* Trechaleidae* Zoridae* Zorocratidae* Zoropsidae...	Ctenidae	39	472	tropical wolf spiders	Brazilian wandering spider Brazilian wandering spider The Brazilian wandering spiders , armed spiders or banana spiders are a genus of aggressive and highly venomous spiders found in tropical South and Central America...
		Lycosidae	107	2320	wolf spiders	Lycosa tarentula
		Oxyopidae	9	422	lynx spiders	Green lynx spider
		Pisauridae	54	331	nursery web spiders	Fishing spiders
		Psechridae Psechridae The Psechridae are a family of spiders with about two dozen species in two orders.They construct cribellate webs and are related to the Lycosidae. With body lengths of up to 2 cm and funnel webs more than 1 m in diameter, they are the biggest cribellate spiders. Psechrus species have been found in...	2	24
		Senoculidae Senoculidae The Senoculidae are a spider family with 31 described species in one genus.-Species:Senoculus Taczanowski, 1872* Senoculus albidus * Senoculus barroanus Chickering, 1941...	1	31
		Stiphidiidae Stiphidiidae The Stiphidiidae are a spider family with 94 described species in 13 genera. They are generally of medium size and build a horizontal tent-like web under rocks. Most species are speckled brown with long legs....	13	94		Tartarus mullamullangensis Tartarus mullamullangensis Tartarus mullamullangensis, informally known as the Mullamullang cave spider, is a palm-sized, long-legged cave spider from Western Australia...
		Trechaleidae Trechaleidae The Trechaleidae are a spider family with 75 described species in 15 genera.-Distribution:Almost all species in this family live in Central and South America...	17	78
		Zoridae Zoridae The Zoridae are a spider family with more than 70 described species in 13 genera.Spiders in this family hunt without webs.It is very hard to determine species, especially in the Zora genus.-Distribution:...	13	74
		Zorocratidae	5	21	zorocratid spiders
		Zoropsidae	12	76	zoropsid spiders	Zoropsis spinimana Zoropsis spinimana Males of the spider species Zoropsis spinimana reach a length of about 10mm, females up to 15mm. This spider looks rather like a wolf spider. It can be found on forest edges under rocks and bark, where it hunts for its prey during the night. Like all zoropsid spiders, it does not build a web for...
	Agelenoidea Agelenoidea The Agelenoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Agelenidae* Amphinectidae...	Agelenidae	41	508	araneomorph funnel-web spiders	Hobo spider Hobo spider The hobo spider is a member of the genus of spiders known colloquially as funnel web spiders. It is one of a small number of spiders in North America whose bites are generally considered to be medically significant...
		Amphinectidae Amphinectidae The Amphinectidae are a spider family with about 180 described species in 35 genera.The family Neolanidae, with its only genus Neolana, was merged into this family in 2005.-Distribution:...	36	187		Metaltella simoni
	Amaurobioidea	Amaurobiidae	71	679	tangled nest spiders	Callobius claustrarius Callobius claustrarius Males of the spider species Callobius claustrarius reach 8 mm, females about 11 mm. Head and legs are reddish brown, the abdomen is dark grey with an extended brown surface, dotted with lighter brown specks.Adults can be found from autumn to spring....
	Dictynoidea Dictynoidea The Dictynoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain six families of eight-eyed spiders:* Anyphaenidae* Cybaeidae* Desidae* Dictynidae* Hahniidae* Nicodamidae...	Anyphaenidae	56	508	anyphaenid sac spiders	Yellow ghost spider Hibana velox Hibana velox is a common spider of North America, for example Texas and Alabama. It can be found in foliage and in houses. It is useful in preying on insects like the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella .-References:* Becker, L. . Diagnoses de nouvelles aranéides américaines. Ann. Soc. ent...
		Cybaeidae Cybaeidae Cybaeidae is a family of spiders comprising twelve genera.-Genera:* Argyroneta Latreille, 1804 * Cedicoides Charitonov, 1946...	12	157		Water spider
		Desidae	38	182	intertidal spiders	Foliage webbing spider Phryganoporus candidus The Foliage webbing spider is a spider widespread, but endemic in Australia.It is up to 10 mm long, silvery grey to brown with a pattern of light and dark brown markings on the abdomen....
		Dictynidae	48	563	dictynid spiders	Nigma walckenaeri Nigma walckenaeri Nigma walckenaeri is a green, cribellate spider up to 5 millimetres long, the biggest of the family Dictynidae. While most of the body is a bit yellowish, the abdomen is a shining green, which makes it rather distinct and hard to confuse with other species. Males have an elevated head region....
		Hahniidae	26	235	dwarf sheet spiders
		Nicodamidae Nicodamidae The Nicodamidae are a spider family with 29 species in nine genera.They are small to medium sized spiders found in small sheet webs close to the ground in eucalypt forests...	9	29
	Sparassoidea	Sparassidae	83	1018	huntsman spiders	Avondale spider Avondale spider Delena cancerides, the flat huntsman spider, is a large, brown huntsman spider native to Australia.It is known as the Avondale spider in New Zealand.-Habitat and appearance:...
	Selenopoidea	Selenopidae	4	190	wall spiders	Selenops radiatus
	Zodaroidea	Zodariidae	74	845	zodariid ground spiders	Zodarion germanicum Zodarion germanicum Zodarion germanicum is a spider species of the Zodariidae family.Like most Zodariidae, Z. germanicum is an ant-eating spider. It resembles ants structurally and behaviorally. Z. germanicum specifically mimics large dark ants, such as Formica cinerea, F. truncorum, and Camponotus ligniperda.Z....
	Tengelloidea	Tengellidae	8	37	tengellid spiders
	incertae sedis Incertae sedis Incertae sedis , abbreviated "inc. sed.", is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined.-Examples:The taxonomy for humans is usually recognized as follows:...	Chummidae Chummidae The Chummidae are a tiny spider family with only two described species in one genus. Both were first described in 2001. Both species are known from males and females....	1	2
		Clubionidae	14	541	sac spiders	Clubiona trivialis Clubiona trivialis Clubiona trivialis is a small reddish brown spider with holarctic distribution. It is found in exposed places on low vegetation. Adults can be found throughout the year.-External links:**...
		Cycloctenidae Cycloctenidae The Cycloctenidae are a spider family with 36 described species in five genera.-Distribution:Most genera are endemic to New Zealand and Australia except Galliena which occurs on Java.-Genera:* Anaua Forster, 1970 * Cycloctenus L...	5	36
		Homalonychidae Homalonychidae The Homalonychidae are a very small spider family with three described species in one genus.They do not build webs and are typically found under rocks or dead vegetation. At least the two North American species live in deserts, to which they are adapted by color and specialized setae which allow...	1	3
		Miturgidae	26	353	long-legged sac spiders	Yellow sac spider Yellow sac spider Cheiracanthium Inclusum, alternately known as the yellow sac spider or black-footed spider, was formerly classified as a true sac spider , but now belongs to the long-legged sac spiders...
	Titanoecoidea Titanoecoidea The Titanoecoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Phyxelididae* Titanoecidae...	Phyxelididae Phyxelididae The Phyxelididae are a spider family with 54 described species in twelve genera. They are grouped with the Titanoecidae within the Titanoecoidea superfamily.-Genera:* Ambohima Griswold, 1990 * Kulalania Griswold, 1990...	12	54
		Titanoecidae	5	46	titanoecid spiders	Goeldia obscura Goeldia obscura Goeldia obscura is a spider species from Colombia and Peru. It is not to be confused with Titanoeca quadriguttata from Europe; both shared the name Titanoeca obscura, but at different times. While G. obscura was never cited as T. obscura since its original description in 1878, T. quadriguttata was...
	Gnaphosoidea Gnaphosoidea The Gnaphosoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph, mostly eight-eyed spiders, with seven families:* Ammoxenidae* Cithaeronidae * Gallieniellidae* Gnaphosidae* Lamponidae* Prodidomidae* Trochanteriidae...	Ammoxenidae Ammoxenidae The Ammoxenidae are a small spider family with 18 species in four genera.-Distribution:Two genera occur in Africa, the other two in Australia.-Species:Ammoxenus Simon, 1893...	4	18
		Cithaeronidae Cithaeronidae The Cithaeronidae are a small spider family with only six species in two genera.-Biology:Cithaeronidae are fast moving spiders which actively hunt at night and rest during the day in silken retreats they construct below rocks.. Female Cithaeron are about 5 to 7 mm long, males about 4 mm...	2	6
		Gallieniellidae Gallieniellidae The Gallieniellidae are a spider family with 48 species in ten genera.The species of this family are suspected to be specialized in ant-preying.-Distribution:...	10	48
		Gnaphosidae	114	1990	flat-bellied ground spiders	Drassodes lapidosus Drassodes Drassodes is a spider genus in the family Gnaphosidae. They can reach a length of about 20mm; the brownish spiders live under rocks or bark in mostly dry habitats.-References: : , version 8.0. American Museum of Natural History....
		Lamponidae Lamponidae The Lamponidae are a spider family with about 200 described species in 23 genera.-Distribution:Species from this family are generally endemic to Australia, with the genus Centrocalia endemic to New Caledonia, and two Lampona species also occurring in New Zealand...	23	191	white-tailed spiders	White-tailed spider White-tailed spider White-tailed spiders are medium-sized spiders native to southern and eastern Australia, and so named because of the whitish tips at the end of their abdomens. Common species are Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina. Both these species have been introduced to New Zealand.White-tailed spiders are...
		Prodidomidae Prodidomidae The Prodidomidae are a spider family with about 300 species in 31 genera. They are sometimes called Long-Spinneret Ground Spiders.This family is part of the superfamily Gnaphosoidea. They are easily identified by the greatly elongated base of the piriform gland spigots. At least parts of their body...	31	303	long-spinneret ground spiders	Lygromma anops Lygromma anops Lygromma anops is one of only three known eyeless spiders in the superfamily Gnaphosoidea, and one of only two known troglobites . It is found in lava caves on Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos.It is possible that L...
		Trochanteriidae Trochanteriidae The Trochanteriidae are a spider family with 149 species in 18 genera.-Distribution:Most genera are endemic to Australia.Doliomalus is endemic to Chile, Trochanteria to Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil....	18	149
	Thomisoidea Thomisoidea The Thomisoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Philodromidae* Thomisidae...	Philodromidae	29	522	philodromid crab spiders	Philodromus dispar Philodromus dispar Philodromus dispar is a philodromid crab spider found on trees and bushes.It is an agile hunter. The female of the species is variable in size and colour. The male is black or dark brown with white edges....
		Thomisidae	171	2062	crab spiders	Goldenrod spider Misumena vatia Misumena vatia is a species of crab spider with holarctic distribution. In North America, where it isthe largest and best-known flower spider, it is called the goldenrod crab spider, because it is commonly found hunting in goldenrod sprays in the autumn.Young males in the early summer may be quite...
	Salticoidea	Salticidae	559	5088	jumping spiders	Zebra spider
	Corinnoidea Corinnoidea The Corinnoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain two families of eight-eyed spiders:* Corinnidae* Liocranidae...	Corinnidae	77	935	dark sac spiders	Castianeira sp. Castianeira Castianeira is a genus of spiders that occur in the America, Eurasia and Africa.Some species mimic ants, and some of these prey on them.-References:...
		Liocranidae	29	160	liocranid sac spiders
3	ca. 38	108	3676	39882		Total

Sources:

• The World Spider Catalog, Version 8.0 (families, species count)
• Synopsis of the described Araneae of the World (suborders)

External links

• 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