Araneidae Clerck, 1757

Family |   ACCEPTED

N.B.: family name and authorship as per ICZN, 2009 Opinion 2224, after application by Kluge, 2007; Arkyinae L. Koch, 1872 (genera Arkys Walckenaer, 1837 and Demadiana Strand, 1929) elevated to Arkyidae by Dimitrov et al., 2017: 244; monophyly of Araneidae stated by Kallal et al., 2018: 138; Nephilinae Simon, 1894 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spiderfam:0111] elevated to family and relimited by Kuntner, 2006: 24, re-synonymized with Araneidae by Dimitrov et al., 2017: 244; Nephilinae and Phonognathinae Simon, 1894 (Simon, 1894a: 746 as Phonognatheae), the valid name for Zygiellinae Simon, 1929 sensu Wunderlich, 2004f, elevated to family by Kuntner et al., 2019: 563, not accepted by Scharff et al., 2020 and Kallal et al., 2020, and confirmed as family by Kuntner et al., 2023: 969-970 along with the separation of Paraplectanoididae Kuntner, Coddington, Agnarsson & Bond, 2023; Nephilinae and Phonognathinae downgraded to subfamily and Paraplectanoididae considered a synonym of Araneidae by Hormiga et al., 2023: 803; family status of Paraplectanoididae, Nephilidae and Phonognathidae revalidated by Kuntner et al., 2025: 17, 23, but not accepted here for reasons of stability; Oarcinae (Gnolus and Oarces) transferred from the Mimetidae to the Araneidae by Dimitrov et al., 2012: Suppl. 1, p. 15, re-transfer to the Mimetidae by Eskov & Marusik, 2023: 340 not accepted here (by majority vote of the WSC boards); Eskov & Marusik, 2023: 241 and Eskov & Marusik, 2024: 52 consider Zygiellidae as the valid name instead of Phonognathidae and accept the family status of Nephilidae; the status of the Nephilinae and Phonognathinae (= Zygiellidae) as subfamilies is accepted by majority vote of the WSC boards; Eskov & Marusik, 2024: 52 list ten subfamilies and tribes as valid (besides Nephilidae and Zygiellidae): Araneinae, Argiopinae Simon, 1890a: 81 (sub Argiopidae), Cyrtarachninae Simon, 1895a: 876 (sub Cyrtarachneae), Сyrtophorinae Simon, 1895a: 876 (sub Cyrtophoreae), Gasteracanthinae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871e: 217 (sub Gasteracanthides), Micratheninae Simon, 1895a: 848 (sub Micratheneae), Guizygiellinae Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003: 42, Caerostrini Simon, 1895a: 831 (sub Cerostreae), Hypognathini Simon, 1895a: 871 (sub Hypognatheae) and Poltyini Simon, 1895a: 888 (sub Poltyeae).

Gen. Oarces Simon, 1879 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:03324
type Arkys reticulatus Nicolet, 1849; gender masculine
N.B.: Oarcinae Simon, 1890a: 81 (Gnolus and Oarces) transferred from the Mimitidae to the Araneidae by Dimitrov et al., 2012: Suppl. 1, p. 15; re-transfer to the Mimetidae by Eskov & Marusik, 2023: 340 and Eskov & Marusik, 2024: 52 not accepted here (by majority vote of the WSC boards).

Transferred to other genera:

Oarces ornatus Mello-Leitão, 1935 -- see Diphya

In synonymy:

Oarces flavescens (Nicolet, 1849, T from Arkys) = Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) (Simon, 1879a: 60)

Oarces gayi (Nicolet, 1849, T from Arkys) = Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) (Simon, 1879a: 60)

Oarces inflatus (Nicolet, 1849, T from Arkys) = Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) (Simon, 1879a: 60)

Oarces liliputanus (Nicolet, 1849, T from Ursa) = Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) (Platnick & Shadab, 1993: 13, confirming Simon, 1879a: 60)

Oarces piriformis (Nicolet, 1849, T from Arkys) = Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) (Simon, 1879a: 60)

Oarces reticulatus (Nicolet, 1849) | | Chile, Argentina urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:005794 TYPE SPECIES
Arkys reticulatus Nicolet, 1849: 387 (Df) Original description
Arkys gayi Nicolet, 1849: 388 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058066]
Arkys piriformis Nicolet, 1849: 388 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058067]
Arkys flavescens Nicolet, 1849: 389, pl. 5, f. 1 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058068]
Arkys liliputanus Nicolet, 1849: 389 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058000]
Arkys inflatus Nicolet, 1849: 389 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058069]
Oarces reticulatus Simon, 1879a: 60 (Dm, T from Arkys, S of Arkys flavescens, A. gayi, A. inflatus, A. liliputanus and A. piriformis)
Oarces reticulatus Tullgren, 1902: 50, pl. 5, f. 3 (f)
Ursa liliputana Archer, 1963: 22 (removed from S of Oarces reticulatus; rejected by Platnick & Shadab, 1993: 13)
Oarces reticulatus Platnick & Shadab, 1993: 13, f. 1-2, 10-13, 16, 21, 50-61 (mf, S of Ursa liliputana)
Oarces reticulatus Benavides & Hormiga, 2020: 153, f. 7F, 9A, 10B, 28A-I, 29A-J (mf)

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