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:
Macracantha blackwalli (Keyserling, 1864) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Dahl, 1914: 250, sub Gasteracantha)
Macracantha curvicauda (Vauthier, 1824) = Macracantha arcuata (Fabricius, 1793) (Simon, 1886a: 147, sub Actinacantha)
Macracantha fabricii (Simon, 1899) = Macracantha arcuata (Fabricius, 1793) (Dahl, 1914: 242, sub Gasteracantha)
Macracantha helva (Blackwall, 1864) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Thorell, 1887: 224, sub Plectana)
Macracantha hepatica (L. Koch, 1871) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Thorell, 1887: 224, sub Plectana)
Macracantha horrens (Thorell, 1859) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Thorell, 1887: 224, sub Plectana)
Macracantha parvula (Thorell, 1859) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Dahl, 1914: 250, sub Gasteracantha)
Macracantha perakensis (Simon, 1901) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Dahl, 1914: 250, sub Gasteracantha)
Macracantha pictospina (van Hasselt, 1882) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Thorell, 1887: 224, sub Plectana)
Macracantha propinqua (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1879) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Dahl, 1914: 250, sub Gasteracantha)
Macracantha tjibodensis (Strand, 1907) = Macracantha hasselti (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Dahl, 1914: 250, sub Gasteracantha)