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).

In synonymy:

Trichocharis Simon, 1895 = Caerostris Thorell, 1868 (Grasshoff, 1984: 727)

Gen. Caerostris Thorell, 1868 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:01450

N.B.: considered a senior synonym of Trichocharis Simon, 1895a: 835 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:05318] (type T. hirsuta Simon, 1895) by Grasshoff, 1984: 727.

Transferred to other genera:

Caerostris basilissa (Thorell, 1899) -- see Megaraneus

Caerostris bhabanii Tikader, 1970 -- see Poltys

In synonymy:

Caerostris albescens Pocock, 1900 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 746, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris albescens flavicomis Simon, 1903 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 747, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris albiceps O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1890 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 746, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris albopubescens Strand, 1906 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris amanica Strand, 1907 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 747, 762, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris argostictus Pocock, 1900 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Pocock, 1902b: 328, sub Caerostris femoralis)

Caerostris avernalis Butler, 1879 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris bankana Strand, 1915 = Caerostris extrusa Butler, 1882 (Grasshoff, 1984: 752)

Caerostris bimaculata Strand, 1907 = Caerostris corticosa Pocock, 1902 (Grasshoff, 1984: 751)

Caerostris columnifer Pocock, 1902 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 747, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris darlingi Pocock, 1902 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 747, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris excellens Butler, 1882 = Caerostris cowani Butler, 1882 (Grasshoff, 1984: 755)

Caerostris femoralis Thorell, 1899 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris hnatiukae Roberts, 1983 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 737)

Caerostris imperialis (Walckenaer, 1841) = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Bonnet, 1956: 922)

Caerostris insularis Strand, 1913 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris keyserlingi Thorell, 1868 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris kibonotensis Tullgren, 1910 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris mimica Strand, 1906 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris mitralis humilis Thorell, 1868 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris mitralis turrigera Thorell, 1868 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris nodulosa Pocock, 1898 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Strand, 1907n: 641, sub Caerostris simata)

Caerostris paradoxa (Doleschall, 1859) = Caerostris sumatrana Strand, 1915 (Grasshoff, 1984: 758)

Caerostris petersi Karsch, 1878 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris retorta Butler, 1882 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris rugosa Karsch, 1878 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris schubotzi Strand, 1913 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris simata Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 746, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris stygiana Butler, 1880 = Caerostris mitralis Vinson, 1863 (Grasshoff, 1984: 743)

Caerostris subsimata Strand, 1906 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 747, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris tuberculosa (Vinson, 1863) = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Caerostris turriger Pocock, 1900 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Grasshoff, 1984: 746, sub C. vinsoni)

Caerostris vinsoni Thorell, 1868 = Caerostris vicina Blackwall, 1866 (Levi, 1996b: 93)

Caerostris voeltzkowi Strand, 1916 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 737)

Caerostris wahlbergi Thorell, 1868 = Caerostris sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793 (Grasshoff, 1984: 736)

Nomina dubia:

Caerostris junior Strand, 1913a: 382 (j, Uganda) -- Grasshoff, 1984: 763

Caerostris rutenbergi Karsch, 1881h: 191, pl. 12, f. A (j, Madagascar) -- Grasshoff, 1984: 763

Caerostris subamanica Caporiacco, 1940c: 829, f. 33 (j, Ethiopia) -- Grasshoff, 1984: 763

Caerostris almae Gregorič, 2015 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048160

Caerostris almae Gregorič in Gregorič et al., 2015b: 298, f. 1K-L, 3A-K, 4A-J (Dmf) Original description

Caerostris bojani Gregorič, 2015 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048161

Caerostris bojani Gregorič in Gregorič et al., 2015b: 302, f. 1E-H, 5A-J, 6A-H (Df) Original description

Caerostris corticosa Pocock, 1902 | | Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015474

Caerostris corticosa Pocock, 1902b: 326, f. C (Df) Original description

Caerostris bimaculata Strand, 1907a: 536 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061367]

Caerostris bimaculata Strand, 1907n: 636 (f)

Caerostris corticosa Grasshoff, 1984: 751, f. 26-27 (f, S of Caerostris bimaculata)

Caerostris corticosa Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2022d: 44, 6 unnumbered f. (f)

Caerostris cowani Butler, 1882 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015475

Caerostris cowani Butler, 1882: 103, pl. 6, f. 4 (Df) Original description

Caerostris excellens Butler, 1882: 105, pl. 6, f. 5 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061370]

Caerostris cowani Grasshoff, 1984: 755, f. 34-36 (f, S of Caerostris excellens)

Caerostris darwini Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2010 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:043500

Caerostris darwini Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2010: 6, f. 2A-C, 4D-E, 5A-B, 6A-F (Dmf) Original description

Caerostris ecclesiigera Butler, 1882 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015476

Caerostris ecclesiigera Butler, 1882: 102, pl. 6, f. 1-2 (Df) Original description

Caerostris ecclesiigera Grasshoff, 1984: 754, f. 31-33 (f)

Caerostris extrusa Butler, 1882 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015477

Caerostris extrusa Butler, 1882: 100, pl. 6, f. 3 (Df) Original description

Caerostris bankana Strand, 1915d: 225 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061366]

Caerostris extrusa Grasshoff, 1984: 752, f. 28-30 (f, S of Caerostris bankana)

Caerostris hirsuta (Simon, 1895) | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015478

Trichocharis hirsuta Simon, 1895a: 835 (Df) Original description

Caerostris hirsuta Grasshoff, 1984: 756, f. 4, 39 (f, T from Trichocharis)

Caerostris indica Strand, 1915 | | Myanmar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015479

Caerostris paradoxa Pocock, 1900a: 231, f. 77 (f; misidentified per Strand, 1915d: 226 )

Caerostris indica Strand, 1915d: 226 (Df) Original description

Caerostris indica Grasshoff, 1984: 760, f. 41 (f)

Caerostris linnaeus Gregorič, 2015 | | Mozambique urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048162

Caerostris linnaeus Gregorič et al., 2015b: 303, f. 1I-J, 7A-E (Df) Original description

Caerostris mayottensis Grasshoff, 1984 | | Comoros, Mayotte urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015480

Caerostris mayottensis Grasshoff, 1984: 756, f. 37-38 (Df) Original description

Caerostris mitralis (Vinson, 1863) | | Tanzania, DR Congo, Mozambique, Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015481

Epeira mitralis Vinson, 1863: 230, 314, pl. 9, f. 2-4 (Df) Original description

Caerostris rugosa Karsch, 1878a: 323, pl. 1, f. 8 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061381]

Caerostris petersii Karsch, 1878a: 324, pl. 1, f. 7 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061379]

Caerostris avernalis Butler, 1879a: 799, f. 1-3 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061365]

Caerostris stygiana Butler, 1880: 731, pl. 58, f. 4 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061384]

Caerostris paradoxa Butler, 1880: 732, pl. 57, f. 5 (f)

Caerostris retorta Butler, 1882: 101, pl. 6, f. 6 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061380]

Caerostris petersi Simon, 1895a: 831, f. 874 (f)

Caerostris avernalis Simon, 1895a: 831, f. 880

Caerostris mitralis Simon, 1895a: 834

Caerostris paradoxa Workman, 1896: 25, pl. 25 (f)

Caerostris mitralis Simon, 1902b: 215, f. C

Caerostris albopubescens Strand, 1906b: 688 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061363]

Caerostris mitralis Grasshoff, 1984: 743, f. 10, 13, 19-21, 45 (mf, S of Caerostris albopubescens, C. avernalis, C. petersi, C. retorta, C. rugosa and C. stygiana)

Caerostris pero Gregorič, 2015 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048163

Caerostris pero Gregorič in Gregorič et al., 2015b: 304, f. 1D, 8A-H (Df) Original description

Caerostris sexcuspidata (Fabricius, 1793) | | Cameroon to Ethiopia and to South Africa, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015482

Aranea sexcuspidata Fabricius, 1793: 427 (Df) Original description

Epeira sexcuspidata Walckenaer, 1805: 67

Gasteracantha sexcuspidata C. L. Koch, 1837a: 36, f. 271 (f)

Epeira imperialis Walckenaer, 1841: 147, pl. 18, f. 1 (Df; superfluous new name for Epeira sexcuspidata) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061392]

Eurysoma sexcuspidata C. L. Koch, 1850: 9

Epeira tuberculosa Vinson, 1863: 228, 314, pl. 14, f. 2 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061386]

Caerostris mitralis humilis Thorell, 1868b: 4 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061377]

Caerostris mitralis turrigera Thorell, 1868b: 4 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061378]

Caerostris wahlbergii Thorell, 1868b: 7 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061390]

Caerostris keyserlingii Thorell, 1868b: 7 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061374]

Caerostris tuberculosa Lenz, 1886: 384

Caerostris sexcuspidata Simon, 1895a: 831, f. 876-879, 881-882 (f, Dm)

Caerostris femoralis Thorell, 1899: 63 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061371]

Caerostris argostictus Pocock, 1900g: 855, pl. 55, f. 5 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061393]

Caerostris femoralis Pocock, 1902b: 328 (S of Caerostris argostictus)

Caerostris mimicus Strand, 1906b: 624 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061376]

Caerostris tuberculosa Strand, 1908f: 470

Caerostris sexcuspidata Tullgren, 1910: 167, pl. 4, f. 121 (f)

Caerostris kibonotensis Tullgren, 1910: 168, pl. 4, f. 122 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061375]

Caerostris schubotzi Strand, 1913a: 383 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061382]

Caerostris insularis Strand, 1913a: 384 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061373]

Caerostris tuberculosa Strand, 1916b: 62

Caerostris voeltzkowi Strand, 1916d: 119 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061389]

Caerostris sexcuspidata Bonnet, 1956: 922 (S of Epeira = Eurysoma imperialis)

Caerostris hnatiukae Roberts, 1983: 280, f. 215-221 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061372]

Caerostris sexcuspidata Grasshoff, 1984: 736, f. 8-9, 11, 14-18, 46-47 (mf, S of Caerostris femoralis, C. hnatiukae, C. insularis, C. keyserlingi, C. kibonotensis, C. mimica, C. mitralis humilis, C. mitralis turrigera, C. schubotzi, C. tuberculosa, C. voeltzkowi and C. wahlbergi)

Caerostris sexcuspidata Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2022d: 45, p. 43: 1 unnumbered f., p. 45: 6 unnumbered f., p. 46: 4 unnumbered f. (f)

Caerostris sumatrana Strand, 1915 | | India to China, Laos, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015483

Epeira paradoxa Doleschall, 1859: 37 (Df; preoccupied by Lucas, 1846, see Phoroncidia paradoxa) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061391]

Caerostris paradoxa Simon, 1895a: 831, f. 875

Caerostris sumatrana Strand, 1915d: 225 (Df) Original description

Caerostris paradoxa Tikader, 1982a: 132, f. 247-250 (f)

Caerostris sumatrana Grasshoff, 1984: 758, f. 5, 40, 48 (f, S of Caerostris paradoxa Doleschall)

Caerostris paradoxa Yin et al., 1997d: 212, f. 130a-c (f; misidentified per Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 262)

Caerostris sumatrana Song, Zhu & Chen, 1999: 262, f. 154C-E (f)

Caerostris sumatrana Jäger, 2007: 37, f. 10-17 (f, Dm)

Caerostris sumatrana Sen et al., 2015: 112, f. 647-651, pl. 22 (f)

Caerostris sumatrana Omelko & Marusik, 2023: 282, f. 1-27 (mf)

Caerostris tinamaze Gregorič, 2015 | | South Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048164

Caerostris tinamaze Gregorič in Gregorič et al., 2015b: 306, f. 9A-K (Dmf) Original description

Caerostris vicina (Blackwall, 1866) | | Sub-Saharan Africa urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015484

Eurysoma vicina Blackwall, 1866: 465 (Df) Original description

Caerostris vinsonii Thorell, 1868b: 8 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061388]

Caerostris albiceps O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1891b: 628, pl. 53, f. 8 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061362]

Caerostris simata Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895: 46, pl. 2, f. 27 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061383]

Caerostris nodulosa Pocock, 1898g: 514, pl. 41, f. 7 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061394]

Caerostris turriger Pocock, 1900g: 857, pl. 57, f. 15 (Df; preoccupied by Thorell, 1868, see Caerostris sexcuspidata) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061387]

Caerostris albescens Pocock, 1900g: 856, pl. 57, f. 16 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061360]

Caerostris darlingi Pocock, 1902b: 327, f. D (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061369]

Caerostris columnifer Pocock, 1902b: 328 (replacement name for C. turriger) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061368]

Caerostris albescens Simon, 1902b: 215, f. A-B

Caerostris albescens flavicomis Simon, 1903e: 90 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061361]

Caerostris subsimata Strand, 1906h: 64 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061385]

Caerostris amanica Strand, 1907a: 536 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:061364]

Caerostris amanica Strand, 1907n: 638 (f)

Caerostris simata Strand, 1907n: 641 (S of Caerostris nodulosa)

Paraplectana vicina Roewer, 1942a: 898

Caerostris vinsoni Grasshoff, 1984: 746, f. 1-3, 6-7, 12, 22-25, 43-44 (mf, S of Caerostris albescens, C. albescens flavicomis, C. albiceps, C. amanica, C. columnifer, C. darlingi, C. simata, C. subsimata and C. turriger)

Caerostris vicina Levi, 1996b: 93 (T from Paraplectana, S of Caerostris vinsoni)

Caerostris vicina Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2022d: 48, 7 unnumbered f. (f)

Caerostris wallacei Gregorič, Blackledge, Agnarsson & Kuntner, 2015 | | Madagascar urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:048165

Caerostris wallacei Gregorič et al., 2015b: 307, f. 10A-C (Df) Original description