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Araneoidea

(Superfamily)

Overview

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The Araneoidea are a superfamily of araneomorph spiders. They contain families of eight-eyed spiders:

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  • Symphytognathidae
  • Synaphridae
  • Synotaxidae
  • Tetragnathidae
  • Theridiidae
  • Theridiosomatidae

    • References

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    1. ^ Li & Wunderlich (2008). "Sinopimoidae, a new spider family from China (Arachnida, Araneae)". Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 33 (1): 1?6. 

    Media related to Araneoidea at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Araneoidea at Wikispecies

    Taxonomy

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    The Superfamily Araneoidea is further organized into finer groupings including:

    Families

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    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. [more]

    Araneidae

    The "typical" orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields and forests. Their common name is taken from the round shape of this typical web, and the taxon was formerly also referred to as the Orbiculariae. [more]

    Cyatholipidae

    The Cyatholipidae are a spider family with 58 described species in 23 genera. [more]

    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. Because of the difficulty in identifying such tiny spiders, there are regular changes in taxonomy as species are combined or divided. [more]

    Mysmenidae

    The Mysmenidae are a spider family with almost 100 described species in more than twenty genera. [more]

    Nephilidae

    [more]

    Nesticidae

    The scaffold web spiders of the family Nesticidae, are closely allied with the Theridiidae, or tangle web spiders. Like the Theridiidae these spiders have a comb of serrated bristles on the hind tarsi that are used to pull silk bands from the spinnerets. It contains nine genera and a little over 200 species, many of which are associated with caves or overhangs. The genus Nesticus is the type for the family and is found throughout the world. The related Eidmannella has speciated considerably in Texas caves and includes some extremely localized species that are considered threatened. One species, Eidmannella pallida, is found in caves and under overhangs, but also in agricultural fields and other habitats away from such restricted areas. The genus Carpathonesticus is found in central Eurasia. [more]

    Nicodamidae

    The Nicodamidae are a spider family with 29 species in nine genera. [more]

    Pimoidae

    The Pimoidae spider family is a rather small group of 37 species in four genera. They are monophyletic, and probably closest related to the Linyphiidae. [more]

    Symphytognathidae

    The Symphytognathidae are a spider family with 44 described species in six genera. [more]

    Synaphridae

    The Synaphridae are a spider family with twelve described species in three genera. [more]

    Synotaxidae

    The Synotaxidae are a spider family with 68 described species in 13 genera. [more]

    Tetragnathidae

    The long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (family Tetragnathidae) are elongated spiders with long legs and chelicerae. [more]

    Theridiidae

    Theridiidae is a large family of spiders, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders. The diverse family includes over 2200 species in over 100 genera) of three-dimensional space-web-builders found throughout the world. Theridiid spiders are entelegyne (have a genital plate in the female) araneomorph ecribellate (use sticky capture silk instead of woolly silk) spiders that often build tangle space webs and have a comb of serrated bristles (setae) on the tarsus of the fourth leg. [more]

    Theridiosomatidae

    The ray spiders (family Theridiosomatidae) are spiders most recognizable for their construction of cone-shaped webs. As of 2008, the family consists of 75 species in 12 genera. [more]

    At least 86 species and subspecies belong to the Family Theridiosomatidae.

    More info about the Family Theridiosomatidae may be found here.

    References

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    1. ^ Li & Wunderlich (2008). "Sinopimoidae, a new spider family from China (Arachnida, Araneae)". Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 33 (1): 1?6. 

    Sources

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    Last Revised: August 24, 2012
    2012/08/24 13:19:32