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. Kilima Grasshoff, 1970 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:01500
type Epeira decens Blackwall, 1866; gender feminine

In synonymy:

Kilima mitis (Pavesi, 1897, T from Larinia) = Kilima decens (Blackwall, 1866) (Grasshoff, 1970a: 123)

Kilima simillima (Lessert, 1915, T from Larinia) = Kilima griseovariegata (Tullgren, 1910) (Grasshoff, 1970a: 124)

Kilima conspersa Grasshoff, 1970 | | Congo urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:016237
Kilima conspersa Grasshoff, 1970a: 127, f. 1e-f, 4a-d, 6a-c, 8c, 11 (Dmf; N.B.: omitted by Brignoli) Original description
Kilima conspersa Heinrichs & Barrion, 2004: 211, f. 609-610 (f)
Kilima decens (Blackwall, 1866) | | Central, East, Southern Africa, Seychelles urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:016238 TYPE SPECIES
Epeira decens Blackwall, 1866: 461 (Dj) Original description
Larinia mitis Pavesi, 1897b: 163 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:057992]
Larinia decens Tullgren, 1910: 160, pl. 4, f. 102 (Dmf)
Kilima decens Grasshoff, 1970a: 122, f. 1a-d, 2a-c, 5a-c, 8a-b, 9 (mf, T from Larinia, S of Larinia mitis)
Kilima decens Saaristo, 2010: 39, f. 4.26-31 (mf)
Kilima decens Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2022e: 37, p. 36: 3 f., p. 37: 6 f. (f)
Kilima griseovariegata (Tullgren, 1910) | | Central, East Africa, Yemen urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:016239
Larinia griseovariegata Tullgren, 1910: 161, pl. 4, f. 105 (Dmf) Original description
Larinia simillima Lessert, 1915a: 28, pl. 2, f. 27-29 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:057993]
Kilima griseovariegata Grasshoff, 1970a: 124, f. 3a-d, 7a-c, 8d, 10 (mf, T from Larinia, S of Larinia simillima)

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