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. Clitaetra Simon, 1889 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:01367
type Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1889; gender feminine
N.B.: Clytaetra is an unjustified emendation; firstly transferred from the Tetragnathidae to the Nephilidae by Kuntner, 2006: 24; for the current familial placement see the note at the family.

Transferred to other genera:

Clitaetra thisbe Simon, 1903 -- see Indoetra

Clitaetra clathrata Simon, 1907 | | West Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013583
Clitaetra clathrata Simon, 1907d: 283 (Df) Original description
Clitaetra sp. Hormiga, Eberhard & Coddington, 1995: 330, f. 9A-C (m; per Kuntner, 2006: 26)
Clitaetra clathrata Kuntner, 2006: 26, f. 1A-E, 2A-D, 3A-F, 4A-F, 5A-F (f, Dm)
Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1889 | | Comoros, Mayotte urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013584 TYPE SPECIES
Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1889b: 226 (Df) Original description
Clitaetra episinoides Simon, 1894a: 756, f. 834 (f)
Clitaetra episinoides Schmidt & Jocqué, 1986: 211, f. 6 (m)
Clitaetra episinoides Kuntner, 2006: 36, f. 12A-G, 13A-D, 14A-F, 15A-F, 16A-F, 17A-F, 18A-F (mf)
Clitaetra episinoides Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 169, f. 10D-E, J-K (mf)
Clitaetra irenae Kuntner, 2006 | | Malawi, South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039993
Clitaetra irenae Kuntner, 2006: 32, f. 7A-D, 8A-C, 9A-F, 10A-F, 11A-F (Dmf) Original description
Clitaetra irenae Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 169, f. 10A-C, F-H (mf)
Clitaetra irenae Kuntner, Coddington & Schneider, 2009: 1452, f. 1A, 2A, D (mf)
Clitaetra irenae Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2022d: 56, p. 55: 1 unnumbered f., p. 56: 3 unnumbered f. (f habitus)
Clitaetra perroti Simon, 1894 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013585
Clitaetra perroti Simon, 1894a: 756 (Df) Original description
Clitaetra episinoides Hormiga, Eberhard & Coddington, 1995: 330, f. 9D-E (m, misidentified)
Clitaetra perroti Kuntner, 2006: 42, f. 19A-F, 20A-G, 21A-F, 22A-F, 23A-F, 24A-F (f, Dm)
Clitaetra perroti Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 169, f. 10I (f)
Clitaetra simoni Benoit, 1962 | | Congo urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:013586
Clitaetra simoni Benoit, 1962b: 222, f. 4-6 (Df) Original description
Clitaetra simoni Kuntner, 2006: 29, f. 6A-C (f)

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