Araneomorphae


The Araneomorphae are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to those of Mygalomorphae, which point straight down. Araneomorphs comprise the vast majority of living spiders.

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 – 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.

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, 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.
The blue bar to the right shows the former Haplogynae in the sense of Coddington.

Table of families

FamilyGeneraSpeciesCommon nameExample
Agelenidae1001481araneomorph funnel-web spidersHobo spider
Amaurobiidae27208tangled nest spidersCallobius claustrarius
Anapidae59233Holarchaea novaeseelandiae
Ancylometidae110
Anyphaenidae59654anyphaenid sac spidersHibana velox
Araneidae1973157orb-weaver spidersZygiella x-notata
Archaeidae693pelican spidersMadagascarchaea gracilicollis
Archoleptonetidae28Archoleptoneta gertschi
Argyronetidae1274
Arkyidae238
Austrochilidae29Tasmanian cave spider
Caponiidae21157Diploglena capensis
Cheiracanthiidae15385Cheiracanthium mildei'
Cicurinidae4183
Cithaeronidae210
Clubionidae18681sac spidersClubiona trivialis
Corinnidae76892dark sac spidersCastianeira sp.
Ctenidae48606wandering spidersPhoneutria fera
Cyatholipidae2358
Cybaeidae24308Cryphoeca silvicola
Cycloctenidae981
Deinopidae371net-casting spidersAsianopis subrufa
Desidae63323intertidal spidersPhryganoporus candidus
Dictynidae45339Nigma walckenaeri
Diguetidae216coneweb spiders
Dolomedidae7128
Drymusidae219false violin spiders
Dysderidae24666woodlouse hunter spidersWoodlouse spider
Eresidae9120velvet spidersEresus sandaliatus
Filistatidae18192crevice weaversSouthern house spider
Fonteferreidae11
Gallieniellidae541
Gnaphosidae1542498flat-bellied ground spidersDrassodes cupreus
Gradungulidae820large-clawed spidersProgradungula carraiensis
Hahniidae29244dwarf sheet spiders
Hersiliidae16189tree trunk spidersHersilia savignyi
Homalonychidae12
Huttoniidae11Huttonia palpimanoides
Hypochilidae233lampshade spidersHypochilus thorelli
Lamponidae23192White-tailed spider
Lathyidae1058
Leptonetidae22400Tooth Cave spider
Linyphiidae6404965dwarf / money spidersLinyphia triangularis
Liocranidae35358liocranid sac spiders
Lycosidae1402510wolf spidersLycosa tarantula
Macrobunidae2795
Malkaridae1357shield spiders
Mecysmaucheniidae725
Megadictynidae22
Mimetidae8166pirate spidersOarces reticulatus
Miturgidae33191long-legged sac spiders
Myrmecicultoridae12
Mysmenidae17188spurred orb-weavers
Nesticidae16291cave cobweb spidersNesticella marapu
Nicodamidae727
Ochyroceratidae9184midget ground weaversTheotima minutissima
Oecobiidae7134disc web spidersOecobius navus
Oonopidae1151983dwarf hunting spidersOonops domesticus
Orsolobidae30190
Oxyopidae10448lynx spidersPeucetia viridans
Pacullidae438
Palpimanidae20182palp-footed spiders
Penestomidae19
Periegopidae13
Philodromidae31529philodromid crab spidersPhilodromus dispar
Pholcidae972060daddy long-legs spidersPholcus phalangioides
Phrurolithidae27420
Physoglenidae1372
Phyxelididae1468
Pimoidae287Pimoa cthulhu
Pisauridae45235nursery web spidersPisaura mirabilis
Plectreuridae232
Prodidomidae24196
Psechridae264
Psilodercidae11225
Salticidae6956950jumping spidersZebra spider
Scytodidae4262spitting spidersScytodes thoracica
Segestriidae5181tubeweb spidersSegestria florentina
Selenopidae9282wall spidersSelenops radiatus
Senoculidae131
Sicariidae3177recluse spidersBrown recluse
Sparassidae991551huntsman spidersDelena cancerides
Stenochilidae213
Stiphidiidae20125Tartarus mullamullangensis
Symphytognathidae10108dwarf orb-weaversPatu digua
Synaphridae313
Synotaxidae540
Telemidae16113long-legged cave spiders
Tetrablemmidae27153armored spiders
Tetragnathidae45996long jawed orb-weaversLeucauge venusta
Theridiidae1382619cobweb spidersRedback spider
Theridiosomatidae24180ray spidersTheridiosoma gemmosum
Thomisidae1722194crab spidersMisumena vatia
Titanoecidae567Goeldia obscura
Toxopidae1482
Trachelidae29317
Trachycosmidae20148
Trechaleidae18136
Trochanteriidae651
Trogloraptoridae11Trogloraptor marchingtoni
Udubidae658
Uloboridae20284hackled orb-weaversUloborus walckenaerius
Viridasiidae314
Xenoctenidae433
Zodariidae901325Zodarion germanicum
Zoropsidae28186Zoropsis spinimana