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).

In synonymy:

Singotypa Simon, 1894 = Phonognatha Simon, 1894 (Dondale, 1966: 1170)

Gen. Phonognatha Simon, 1894 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:01406
type Epeira graeffei Keyserling, 1865; gender feminine
N.B.: transferred from the Tetragnathidae to the Araneidae by Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 190, confirmed by Murphy & Roberts, 2015: ix; placed in the Phonognathidae Simon, 1894a: 746 by Kuntner et al., 2019: 563; for the current familial placement see the note at the family; considered a senior synonym of Singotypa Simon, 1894a: 784 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:05317] (type Epeira melania L. Koch, 1871) by Dondale, 1966: 1170.

Transferred to other genera:

Phonognatha acanthopus (Simon, 1907) -- see Singafrotypa

Phonognatha guanga Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 -- see Neriene

Phonognatha joannae Berland, 1924 -- see Artifex

Phonognatha melanopyga (L. Koch, 1871) -- see Artifex

Phonognatha vicitra Sherriffs, 1928 -- see Acusilas

In synonymy:

Phonognatha pallida (Dalmas, 1917) = Phonognatha melania (L. Koch, 1871) (Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1091)

Phonognatha wagneri (Rainbow, 1896, T from Araneus) = Phonognatha graeffei (Keyserling, 1865) (Dondale, 1966: 1171)

Phonognatha graeffei (Keyserling, 1865) | | Australia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014062 TYPE SPECIES
Epeira graeffii Keyserling, 1865: 811, pl. 19, f. 12-13 (Df; patronym for Graeffe) Original description
Epeira graeffei L. Koch, 1871: 98
Phonognatha graeffei Simon, 1894a: 748, f. 829-831 (f)
Epeira wagneri Rainbow, 1896a: 325, pl. 19, f. 2 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:065077]
Phonognatha graeffei Dondale, 1966: 1171, f. 5A-G (mf, S of Araneus wagneri)
Phonognatha graeffei Davies, 1988b: 288, f. 10 (mf)
Phonognatha graeffei Hormiga, Eberhard & Coddington, 1995: 323, f. 5K, 8A-G (m)
Phonognatha graeffei Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 170, f. 11A-C, E-G (mf)
Phonognatha graeffei Álvarez-Padilla & Hormiga, 2011a: 838, f. 125E-F, 136E (m)
Phonognatha graeffei Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1080, f. 1A,C, 4A-B, 10A, 11A-I, 12A-G, 13A-I (mf)
Phonognatha melania (L. Koch, 1871) | | Australia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014066
Epeira melania L. Koch, 1871: 100, pl. 8, f. 3 (Df) Original description
Meta melania Keyserling, 1887a: 207, pl. 18, f. 7 (Dm)
Singotypa melania Simon, 1894a: 749
Singotypa pallida Dalmas, 1917b: 435 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014068]
Phonognatha melania Dondale, 1966: 1172, f. 5H-O (mf)
Phonognatha melania Hickman, 1967: 56, f. 99-102 (mf)
Phonognatha melania Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1091, f. 15A-I, 16A-G, 17A-I (mf, S of Phonognatha pallida)
Phonognatha neocaledonica Berland, 1924 | | New Caledonia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014063
Phonognatha graeffei neocaledonica Berland, 1924a: 213, f. 113-117 (Dmf) Original description
Phonognatha neocaledonica Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1098, f. 19A-D, 20A-G, 21A-I (mf, elevated from subspecies)
Phonognatha tanyodon Kallal & Hormiga, 2018 | | Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:050738
Phonognatha tanyodon Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1102, f. 1B, 23A-I, 24A-G, 25A-I (Dmf) Original description

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