World Spider Catalog

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 (with the single genus Paraplectanoides Keyserling, 1886); Nephilinae and Phonognathinae downgraded to subfamily and Paraplectanoididae considered a synonym of Araneidae by Hormiga et al., 2023: 803; Oarcinae (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 not accepted here (by majority vote of the WSC boards).

Gen. Nephila Leach, 1815 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:01397

N.B.: placed in the Araneidae by Wunderlich, 2004g: 960; firstly transferred from the Tetragnathidae to the Nephilidae by Kuntner, 2006: 24; for the current familial placement see also the note at the family.

Transferred to other genera:

Nephila adelaidensis Hogg, 1910 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila aerea (Hogg, 1896) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila ambigua Kulczyński, 1911 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila antipodiana (Walckenaer, 1841) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila celebesiana Strand, 1915 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila chacoensis Badcock, 1932 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavata Schenkel, 1963 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavata L. Koch, 1878 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavata caerulescens Ono, 2011 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavatoides Schenkel, 1953 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavipes fasciculata (De Geer, 1778) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila clavipes vespucea (Walckenaer, 1841) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila dolabella Thorell, 1899 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila dubia Badcock, 1932 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila edulis (Labillardière, 1799) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila eremiana Hogg, 1896 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila fenestrata Thorell, 1859 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila fenestrata fuelleborni Dahl, 1912 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila fenestrata venusta (Blackwall, 1865) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila fontanae Holmberg, 1876 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila imperatrix L. Koch, 1872 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila inaurata Canard, 1975 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila inaurata (Walckenaer, 1841) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila inaurata madagascariensis (Vinson, 1863) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila janeira (Walckenaer, 1841) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila komaci Kuntner & Coddington, 2009 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila laurinae Thorell, 1881 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila laurinae (Strand, 1911) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila maja (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila meridionalis Hogg, 1910 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila meridionalis Hogg, 1914 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila nigritarsis Pocock, 1900 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila picta Rainbow, 1896 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila plumipes (Latreille, 1804) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila riverai Brèthes, 1918 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila sarasinorum Merian, 1911 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis Dahl, 1912 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis (Walckenaer, 1841) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis annulata (Thorell, 1859) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis bragantina Brito Capello, 1867 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis hildebrandti Dahl, 1912 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis huebneri Dahl, 1912 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis keyserlingi (Blackwall, 1865) -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis nyikae Pocock, 1898 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila senegalensis schweinfurthi Simon, 1890 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila sexpunctata Giebel, 1867 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila sulphurea Taczanowski, 1873 -- see Alpaida

Nephila sumptuosa Gerstäcker, 1873 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila thomensis Benoit, 1963 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila turneri Blackwall, 1833 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila turneri orientalis Benoit, 1964 -- see Trichonephila

Nephila vitiana (Walckenaer, 1847) -- see Trichonephila

In synonymy:

Nephila pictithorax Kulczyński, 1911 = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes annulipes Thorell, 1881 = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes flavornata Merian, 1911 = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes hasselti (Doleschall, 1859) = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes jalorensis (Simon, 1901) = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes lauterbachi (Dahl, 1912) = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes novaeguineae (Strand, 1906) = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes piscatorum Vis, 1911 = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila pilipes walckenaeri (Doleschall, 1857) = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 423)

Nephila prolixa L. Koch, 1872 (removed from S of N. plumipes) = Nephila tetragnathoides Walckenaer, 1841 (Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 434)

Nephila robusta Tikader, 1962 = Nephila pilipes Fabricius, 1793 (Sankaran et al., 2020: 592)

Nomina dubia:

Nephila dirangensis B. Biswas & K. Biswas, 2006: 512, f. 11-13 (f, India) -- Sherwood & Caleb, 2024: 114

Nephila pilipes malagassa Strand, 1907a: 533 (f, Madagascar) -- Nentwig et al., 2019: 41, see also Strand, 1907n: 609

Nomen nudum:

Nephila rocheti Guérin, in Duvernoy, 1851: 239 (Ethiopia) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:055995] -- Bonnet, 1958: 3083, no description

Nephila comorana Strand, 1916 | | Comoros, Mayotte urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013946

Nephila comorana Strand, 1916d: 120 (Dmf) Original description

Nephila comorana Schmidt & Jocqué, 1986: 206, f. 1-3 (mf)

Nephila constricta Karsch, 1879 | | Tropical Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013948

Nephila constricta Karsch, 1879e: 834, pl. 11, f. 4 (Df) Original description

Nephila lucasi Simon, 1887a: 270 (Df)

Nephila baculigera Thorell, 1899: 36 (Dm)

Nephila constricta Dahl, 1912a: 42, 55

Nephila constricta Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 166, f. 7D-E (m)

Nephila constricta Kuntner, Coddington & Schneider, 2009: 1452, f. 1A, 4E (mf)

Nephila cornuta (Pallas, 1772) | | Guyana urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013947

Aranea cornuta Pallas, 1772: 44, pl. 3, f. 13 (Df) Original description

Nephila cornuta F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901b: 325, pl. 7, f. 5 (f)

Nephila clavipes cornuta Dahl, 1912a: 46, 74

Nephila cornuta Archer, 1958: 3, f. 3-6 (f, Dm, elevated from subspecies of N. clavipes)

Nephila kuhli (Doleschall, 1859) | | Myanmar to Indonesia (Sulawesi) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013955

Epeira kuhlii Doleschall, 1859: 27, pl. 9, f. 7 (Df) Original description

Nephila kuhlii Thorell, 1887: 150

Nephila kuhlii Tikader, 1982a: 104, f. 198-201 (removed f from S of N. pilipes)

Nephila kuhlii Sankaran et al., 2020: 594 (specimens from India belong to N. pilipes)

Nephila pakistaniensis Ghafoor & Beg, 2002 | | Pakistan urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:040004

Nephila pakistaniensis Ghafoor & Beg, 2002a: 526, f. 2A-D (Dmf) Original description

Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) | | Pakistan, India to China, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013960

Aranea longipes Fabricius, 1781: 545 (Df; preoccupied by Fuesslin, 1775)

Aranea maculata Fabricius, 1793: 424 (D, preoccupied by Olivier, 1789)

Aranea pilipes Fabricius, 1793: 425 (Df) Original description

Aranea sebae Walckenaer, 1805: 55

Epeira chrysogaster Walckenaer, 1805: 53 (D)

Nephila maculata Leach, 1815: 134, pl. 110 (f)

Nephila fuscipes C. L. Koch, 1839a: 136, f. 528 (Df)

Epeira chrysogaster Walckenaer, 1841: 92 (Df)

Epeira fuscipes Walckenaer, 1841: 97

Epeira doreyana Walckenaer, 1841: 100 (Df)

Epeira caliginosa Walckenaer, 1841: 100 (Df)

Nephila ornata Adams, 1847: 291 (Df)

Epeira penicillum Doleschall, 1857: 413 (Df)

Epeira walckenaeri Doleschall, 1857: 413 (Df)

Epeira hasseltii Doleschall, 1859: 27, pl. 13, f. 5 (Df)

Epeira chrysogaster Doleschall, 1859: 27, pl. 14, f. 2, pl. 11, f. 2 (f)

Epeira walckenaeri Doleschall, 1859: pl. 1, f. 4, pl. 2, f. 4 (f)

Epeira harpyia Doleschall, 1859: 28, pl. 14, f. 1 (Df)

Nephila chrysogaster O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871d: 620, pl. 49, f. 3-4 (f, Dm)

Meta ornata L. Koch, 1872a: 134, pl. 11, f. 6 (j)

Nephila fuscipes L. Koch, 1872a: 156, pl. 13, f. 1 (f)

Nephila pecuniosa L. Koch, 1872a: 157, pl. 13, f. 2 (Df)

Nephila aurosa L. Koch, 1872a: 160, pl. 13, f. 4 (Df)

Nephila procera L. Koch, 1872a: 162, pl. 14, f. 1 (Df)

Nephila sulphurosa L. Koch, 1872a: 163, pl. 14, f. 2 (Df)

Nephila tenuipes L. Koch, 1872a: 165, pl. 13, f. 5 (Df)

Nephila walckenaeri Thorell, 1877b: 447

Nephila maculata annulipes Thorell, 1881: 146 (Df)

Nephila maculata McCook, 1894: 254, pl. 23, f. 4 (f)

Nephila maculata Simon, 1894a: 755, f. 832-833 (mf)

Nephila maculata jalorensis Simon, 1901k: 58 (Dj)

Nephila maculata Bösenberg & Strand, 1906: 193, pl. 11, f. 208 (f)

Nephila submaculata Strand, 1906c: 30 (Df)

Nephila maculata novae-guineae Strand, 1906d: 261 (Df)

Nephila maculata flavornata Merian, 1911: 195 (Df)

Nephila maculata piscatorum Vis, 1911: 167 (Df)

Nephila pictithorax Kulczyński, 1911c: 469, pl. 20, f. 40 (Df)

Nephila maculata Dahl, 1912a: 35, 52

Nephila maculata lauterbachi Dahl, 1912a: 53 (Df)

Nephila maculata hasselti Hogg, 1915a: 440

Nephila maculata walckenaeri Hogg, 1915a: 441

Nephila maculata Saito, 1959: 117, f. 140a-d (f)

Nephila maculata Chrysanthus, 1959: 197, f. 2, 11, 24 (f)

Nephila maculata Chrysanthus, 1960: 23, f. 3-4 (m)

Nephila robusta Tikader, 1962b: 566 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013972]

Nephila maculata Wiehle, 1967b: 195, f. 51 (f)

Nephila maculata Levi, 1980a: 17, f. 16-22 (mf)

Nephila maculata Tikader, 1982a: 97, f. 187-190 (f)

Nephila robusta Tikader, 1982a: 100, f. 191-194 (f)

Nephila maculata Wunderlich, 1986: 197, f. 163 (m)

Nephila maculata Song, 1987: 174, f. 134 (mf)

Nephila pilipes Barrion et al., 1988b: 248, f. 1, 2a-e (f)

Nephila maculata Hu & Wu, 1989: 106, f. 81.1-3 (mf)

Nephila maculata Chikuni, 1989b: 80, f. 52 (mf)

Nephila maculata Feng, 1990: 97, f. 72.1-5 (mf)

Nephila maculata Chen & Zhang, 1991: 111, f. 105.1-4 (mf)

Nephila maculata Barrion & Litsinger, 1995: 560, f. 346a-c, 347a-e (mf)

Nephila pilipes Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 217, f. 124Q-R, 125E (mf)

Nephila pilipes Song, Zhu & Chen, 2001: 168, f. 98A-C (mf)

Nephila pilipes Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003: 82, f. 34A-F, 35A-C, pl. VA-D (mf)

Nephila maculata Kim, 2006: 203, f. 1a-c, 2a-e (mf)

Nephila maculata Gajbe, 2007: 510, f. 266-268 (f)

Nephila pilipes Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 422, f. 1-2, 4-5, 19-31 (mf, S)

Nephila pilipes Tanikawa, 2007c: 94, f. 310-315, 766-767 (mf)

Nephila pilipes Tanikawa, 2009: 404, f. 3-4 (mf)

Nephila pilipes Sen et al., 2015: 104, f. 607-611, pl. 21 (f)

Nephila pilipes Sankaran et al., 2020: 592, f. 1A-D, 2A-C,E-F, 3A-H (mf, Sf of Nephila robusta)

Nephila pilipes Ochi & Shinta, 2021: 108, f. 2-3 (m)

Nephila pilipes Jaffry, Butt & Zahra, 2024: 426, f. 10A-G, 11A-E, 12A-D (mf)

Nephila tetragnathoides (Walckenaer, 1841) | | Fiji, Tonga, Niue urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013984

Epeira tetragnatoides Walckenaer, 1841: 100 (Df, lapsus) Original description

Epeira durvilla Walckenaer, 1841: 103 (Df)

Nephila prolixa L. Koch, 1872a: 149, pl. 12, f. 2 (Df)

Nephila flagellans L. Koch, 1872a: 153, pl. 12, f. 5, 5a-b, 6, 6a (mf, in part, misidentified)

Nephila tetragnathoides Dahl, 1912a: 35, 60 (S of Nephila durvilla and N. prolixa)

Nephila prolixa Strand, 1915d: 206, pl. 16, f. 49 (mf)

Nephila flagellans Gerhardt, 1921: 207, f. 18 (m)

Nephila tetragnathoides Harvey, Austin & Adams, 2007: 434, f. 47-59 (Dm, f, S of Nephila prolixa removed from S of N. plumipes [now Trichonephila], confirming Dahl, 1912a: 35)

Nephila vitiana (Walckenaer, 1847) | | Indonesia, Fiji, Tonga urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013987

Epeira vitiana Walckenaer, 1847a: 471 (Df) Original description

Nephila wallacei Thorell, 1877b: 449 (Df)

Nephila piepersii Thorell, 1877b: 451 (Df)

Nephila piepersii Merian, 1911: 197, pl. 9, f. 8-9

Nephila vitiana Dahl, 1912a: 36, 59, 61 (S of Nephila piepersii and N. wallacei)

Trichonephila vitiana Yong et al., 2021: 2 (T from Nephila; but the act is invalid for nomenclatural purposes in accordance with Article 8 of the ICZN)