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. Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:03958

In synonymy:

Backobourkia annulata (Keyserling, 1886, T from Araneus, where omitted by Roewer) = Backobourkia heroine L. Koch, 1871 (Dondale, 1966: 1168, sub Araneus)

Backobourkia reversa (Hogg, 1914, T from Araneus) = Backobourkia collina Keyserling, 1886 (Framenau et al., 2010: 99)

Backobourkia ventricosella (Roewer, 1942, T from Araneus) = Backobourkia heroine L. Koch, 1871 (Paquin et al., 2008d: 4, sub Eriophora; N.B.: possibly a S of B. brouni rather than B. heroine)

Nomen dubium:

Backobourkia felina (Butler, 1876a: 351, pl. 10, f. 1-2, f, Australia/Queensland, originally in Epeira) -- Framenau et al., 2010: 95

Backobourkia brouni (Urquhart, 1885) | | Australia, New Zealand urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:043116

Epeira brounii Urquhart, 1885: 32, pl. 10, f. 5a-d (Df, not m = Eriophora pustulosa) Original description

Epeira brounii indistincta Urquhart, 1885: 33 (D)

Araneus brouni Dalmas, 1917a: 383, f. 47-48, 50 (mf)

Araneus heroine Dondale, 1966: 1166, f. 2A-C (mf, misidentified, in part)

Araneus heroine Gibbs, 1982: 4, f. 1 (f, misidentified)

Eriophora heroine Court & Forster, 1988: 100, f. 352, 504-506, 508-513 (mf, T from Araneus, S of Araneus brouni; misidentified and S rejected by Framenau et al., 2010: 96)

Backobourkia brounii Framenau et al., 2010: 96, f. 1A-B, 5C-D, 10A-G (mf, removed from S of B. heroine, contra Court & Forster, 1988: 100)

Backobourkia brounii Paquin, Vink & Dupérré, 2010: 48, f. 25.7-8 (mf)

Backobourkia collina (Keyserling, 1886) | | Australia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015876

Epeira transmarina L. Koch, 1871: 59, pl. 5, f. 2 (f, misidentified, in part)

Epeira collina Keyserling, 1886a: 141, pl. 11, f. 5 (Df) Original description

Araneus reversus Hogg, 1914b: 77, pl. 1, f. 5 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015164]

Eriophora collina Archer, 1951a: 21 (Tf from Araneus)

Backobourkia collina Framenau et al., 2010: 99, f. 5E-F, 12A-G (Tf from Eriophora, Dm, S)

Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) | | Australia (mainland, Norfolk Is.), New Caledonia, possibly New Zealand urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015881

Epeira heroine L. Koch, 1871: 51, pl. 4, f. 2 (Df) Original description

Epeira transmarina L. Koch, 1871: 59, pl. 5, f. 2 (f, misidentified, in part)

Epeira heroine Keyserling, 1886a: 138, pl. 11, f. 3 (Dm)

Epeira annulata Keyserling, 1886a: 141 (Df)

Epeira ventriosa Urquhart, 1892b: 243, [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015278] (Df; preoccupied by Epeira ventriosa Urquhart, 1891, not by Epeira ventricosa L. Koch, 1878)

Aranea ventricosella Roewer, 1942a: 835 (replacement name for "Epeira ventricosa Urquhart" which is just a lapsus, but since the intended Urquhart name is actually preoccupied, Roewer's replacement name can be used)

Araneus heroine Dondale, 1966: 1166, f. 2A-C (mf, S; N.B.: some specimens belong to B. brouni)

Araneus heroine Hickman, 1967: 65, f. 115-117 (mf; N.B.: some specimens may belong to B. brouni)

Eriophora heroine Paquin et al., 2008d: 4 (S)

Backobourkia heroine Framenau et al., 2010: 92, f. 1C-E, 4A-D, 5A-B, 6A-K, 7A-C, 8A-C (Tmf from Eriophora)

Backobourkia thyridota (Thorell, 1870) | | Australia (Queensland) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:053550

Epeira thyridota Thorell, 1870c: 367 (Dm, jf) Original description

Epeira thyridota L. Koch, 1871: 52, pl. 4, f. 3, pl. 7, f. 1 (m, jf)

Backobourkia thyridota Framenau et al., 2021b: 304 (T from Eriophora, removed from S of Eriophora transmarina rejecting Dondale, 1966: 1164, probably senior S of B. brouni or B. heroine)