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:

Artifex Kallal & Hormiga, 2018 = Artiphex Kallal & Hormiga, 2022 (Kallal & Hormiga, 2022b: 394, preoccupied, replacement name)

Gen. Artiphex Kallal & Hormiga, 2022 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:05594
type Epeira melanopyga L. Koch, 1871; gender feminine
N.B.: replacement name for Artifex Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1124 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:04500], preoccupied in Hymenoptera by Silveira, 2008; described in the Araneidae, transferred to the Phonognathidae by Kuntner et al., 2019: 563; for the current familial placement see the note at the family.

In synonymy:

Artiphex mastersi (Bradley, 1876, T from Araneus) = Artiphex melanopyga (L. Koch, 1871) (Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1125, sub Artifex)

Artiphex joannae (Berland, 1924) | | New Caledonia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014065
Phonognatha joannae Berland, 1924a: 213, f. 118-120 (Dmf) Original description
Artifex joannae Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1130, f. 43A-D, 44A-G (f, T from Phonognatha)
Artiphex joannae Kallal & Hormiga, 2022b: 394 (T from Artifex)
Artiphex melanopyga (L. Koch, 1871) | | Australia (Queensland) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:014067 TYPE SPECIES
Epeira melanopyga L. Koch, 1871: 97, pl. 8, f. 2 (Df) Original description
Epeira mastersii Bradley, 1876a: 146, pl. 1, f. 6 (Dmf) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015010]
Singotypa melanopygia Rainbow, 1916a: 87, pl. 21, f. 9 (Dm)
Phonognatha melanopyga Kuntner, Coddington & Hormiga, 2008: 170, f. 11D, H-I (mf)
Phonognatha melanopyga Kuntner, Coddington & Schneider, 2009: 1452, f. 1C (m)
Artifex melanopyga Kallal & Hormiga, 2018b: 1125, f. 1D, 10C, 39A-I, 40A-G, 41A-I (mf, T from Phonognatha, S of Araneus mastersi)
Artiphex melanopyga Kallal & Hormiga, 2022b: 394 (T from Artifex)
Artiphex melanopyga Kuntner et al., 2025: 13, f. 10A, S8A-F (m)

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