Orb-weaver spiders are members of the
spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped
webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular",
[ hence the English name of the group. Araneids have eight similar eyes, hairy or spiny legs, and no stridulating organs.
The family has a ]cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
, including many well-known large or brightly colored garden spiders. With 3,108 species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
in 186 genera worldwide, the Araneidae comprise the third-largest family of spiders (behind the Salticidae
Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spi ...
and Linyphiidae
Linyphiidae, spiders commonly known as sheet weavers (from the shape of their webs), or money spiders (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and in Portugal, from the superstition that if such a spider is seen running on you, ...
).[ Araneid webs are constructed in a stereotypical fashion, where a framework of nonsticky ]silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
is built up before the spider adds a final spiral of silk covered in sticky droplets.
Orb webs are also produced by members of other spider families. The long-jawed orb weavers (Tetragnathidae
Long-jawed orb weavers or long jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Anton Menge in 1866. They have elongated bodies, legs, and chelicerae, and build small orb webs with an open hub with few, wide-se ...
) were formerly included in the Araneidae; they are closely related, being part of the superfamily Araneoidea
Araneoidea is a taxon of araneomorph spiders, termed "araneoids", treated as a superfamily. As with many such groups, its circumscription has varied; in particular some families that had at one time moved to the Palpimanoidea have more recently ...
. The family Arkyidae has been split off from the Araneidae.[ The ]cribellate
Cribellum literally means "little sieve", and in biology the term generally applies to anatomical structures in the form of tiny perforated plates.
In certain groups of diatoms it refers to microscopically punctured regions of the frustule, or o ...
or hackled orb-weavers (Uloboridae
Uloboridae is a family of non-venomous spiders, known as cribellate orb weavers or hackled orb weavers. Their lack of venom glands is a secondarily evolved trait. Instead, they wrap their prey thoroughly in silk, cover it in regurgitated digestive ...
) belong to a different group of spiders. Their webs are strikingly similar, but use a different kind of silk.
Description
Generally, orb-weaving spiders are three-clawed builders of flat webs with sticky spiral capture silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
. The building of a web is an engineering feat, begun when the spider floats a line on the wind to another surface. The spider secures the line and then drops another line from the center, making a "Y". The rest of the scaffolding follows with many radii of nonsticky silk being constructed before a final spiral of sticky capture silk.
The third claw is used to walk on the nonsticky part of the web. Characteristically, the prey insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
that blunders into the sticky lines is stunned by a quick bite, and then wrapped in silk. If the prey is a venomous
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
insect, such as a wasp, wrapping may precede biting and/or stinging. Much of the orb-spinning spiders' success in capturing insects depends on the web not being visible to the prey, with the stickiness of the web increasing the visibility, thus decreasing the chances of capturing prey. This leads to a trade-off between the visibility of the web and the web's prey-retention ability.
Many orb-weavers build a new web each day. Most orb-weavers tend to be active during the evening hours; they hide for most of the day. Generally, towards evening, the spider consumes the old web, rests for about an hour, then spins a new web in the same general location. Thus, the webs of orb-weavers are generally free of the accumulation of detritus
In biology, detritus () is dead particulate organic material, as distinguished from dissolved organic material. Detritus typically includes the bodies or fragments of bodies of dead organisms, and fecal material. Detritus typically hosts commun ...
common to other species, such as black widow spiders.
Some orb-weavers do not build webs at all. Members of the genera '' Mastophora'' in the Americas, ''Cladomelea
''Cladomelea'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Adult females of the genus are bolas spider
A bolas spider is a member of the orb-weaver spider (family Araneidae) that, instead of spinning a ...
'' in Africa, and ''Ordgarius
''Ordgarius'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1886. Adult females of the genus are bolas spiders, capturing their prey with one or more sticky drops at the end of a single line of silk rather than in ...
'' in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
produce sticky globules, which contain a pheromone
A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
analog. The globule is hung from a silken thread dangled by the spider from its front legs. The pheromone analog attracts male moths of only a few species. These get stuck on the globule and are reeled in to be eaten. Both genera of bolas spider
A bolas spider is a member of the orb-weaver spider (family Araneidae) that, instead of spinning a typical orb web, hunts by using one or more sticky "capture blobs" on the end of a silk line, known as a " bolas". By swinging the bolas at flyin ...
s are highly camouflaged and difficult to locate.
In the ''Araneus diadematus'', variables such as wind, web support, temperatures, humidity, and silk supply all proved to be variables in web construction. When studied against the tests of nature, the spiders were able to decide what shape to make their web, how many capture spirals, or the width of their web. Though it could expected for these spiders to just know these things, it isn't well researched yet as to just how the arachnid knows how to change their web design based on their surroundings. Some scientists suggest that it could be through the spider's spatial learning on their environmental surroundings and the knowing of what will or won't work compared to natural behavioristic rules.
The spiny orb-weaving spiders in the genera ''Gasteracantha
''Gasteracantha'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first named by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, or spiny spiders. The females of most species are brightly colored wi ...
'' and ''Micrathena
''Micrathena'', known as spiny orbweavers, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. ''Micrathena'' contains more than a hundred species, most of them Neotropical woodland-dwelling species. The name is der ...
'' look like plant seeds or thorns hanging in their orb-webs. Some species of ''Gasteracantha'' have very long, horn-like spines protruding from their abdomens.
One feature of the webs of some orb-weavers is the stabilimentum
A stabilimentum (plural: stabilimenta), also known as a web decoration, is a conspicuous silk structure included in the webs of some species of orb-web spider. Its function is a subject of debate.
Origin
It is likely that the use of stabiliment ...
, a crisscross band of silk through the center of the web. It is found in several genera, but '' Argiope'' – the yellow and banded garden spiders of North America – is a prime example. As orb-weavers age, they tend to have less production of their silk; many adult orb-weavers can then depend on their coloration to attract more of their prey. The band may be a lure for prey, a marker to warn birds away from the web, and a camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
for the spider when it sits in the web. The stabilimentum may decrease the visibility of the silk to insects, thus making it harder for prey to avoid the web.[ The orb-web consists of a frame and supporting radii overlaid with a sticky capture spiral, and the silks used by orb-weaver spiders have exceptional mechanical properties to withstand the impact of flying prey.][ The orb-weaving spider '']Zygiella x-notata
''Zygiella x-notata'', sometimes known as the missing sector orb weaver or the silver-sided sector spider,Factsheet 6: Missing-sector Orbweaver (Zygiella x-notata)', British Arachnological Society, 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016 is a spider sp ...
'' produces a unique orb-web with a characteristic missing sector, similar to other species of the ''Zygiella'' genus in the Araneidae family.
During the Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
, a radiation of angiosperm plants and their insect pollinators occurred. Fossil evidence shows that the orb web was in existence at this time, which permitted a concurrent radiation of the spider predators along with their insect prey.[ The capacity of orb–webs to absorb the impact of flying prey led orbicularian spiders to become the dominant predators of aerial insects in many ecosystems.][ Insects and spiders have comparable rates of diversification, suggesting they co-radiated, and the peak of this radiation occurred 100 Mya, before the origin of angiosperms.][ Vollrath and Selden (2007) make the bold proposition that insect evolution was driven less by flowering plants than by spider predation – particularly through orb webs – as a major selective force.][ On the other hand some analyses have yielded estimates as high as 265 Mya, with a large number (including Dimitrov et al 2016) intermediate between the two.]
Most arachnid webs are vertical and the spiders usually hang with their heads downward. A few webs, such as those of orb-weavers in the genus ''Metepeira
''Metepeira'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1903. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek μετά and the obsolete genus name '' Epeira'', denoting a genus similar to ''Epeira''.
Species
i ...
'', have the orb hidden within a tangled space of web. Some ''Metepiera'' species are semisocial and live in communal webs. In Mexico, such communal webs have been cut out of trees or bushes and used for living fly paper. In 2009, workers at a Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
wastewater treatment plant called for help to deal with over 100 million orb-weaver spiders, living in a community that managed to spin a phenomenal web that covered some 4 acres of a building, with spider densities in some areas reaching 35,176 spiders per cubic meter.[
]
Taxonomy
The oldest known true orb-weaver is ''Mesozygiella dunlopi
''Mesozygiella'' is an extinct genus of Orb-weaver spider, orb-weaving spider (family Araneidae), with one known species, ''Mesozygiella dunlopi'', dating from the Early Cretaceous, making it the earliest orb-weaver yet discovered. Two male speci ...
'', from the Lower Cretaceous
Lower may refer to:
*Lower (surname)
*Lower Township, New Jersey
*Lower Receiver (firearms)
*Lower Wick
Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eig ...
. Several fossils provide direct evidence that the three major orb-weaving families, namely the Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Uloboridae, had evolved by this time, about 140 Mya.[ They probably originated during the Jurassic (). Based on new molecular evidence in silk genes, all three families are likely to have a common origin.][
The two superfamilies, Deinopoidea and Araneoidea, have similar behavioral sequences and spinning apparatuses to produce architecturally similar webs. The latter weave true viscid silk with an aqueous glue property, and the former use dry fibrils and sticky silk.][ The Deinopoidea (including the Uloboridae), have a ]cribellum
Cribellum literally means "little sieve", and in biology the term generally applies to anatomical structures in the form of tiny perforated plates.
In certain groups of diatoms it refers to microscopically punctured regions of the frustule, or o ...
– a flat, complex spinning plate from which the cribellate silk is released.[
They also have a ]calamistrum In spiders, the calamistrum is a row of specialized leg bristles used to comb out fine bands of silk. It is only found on cribellate spiders, that is, spiders that possess the spinning organ known as the cribellum. The calamistrum and cribellum ar ...
– an apparatus of bristles used to comb the cribellate silk from the cribellum. The Araneoidea, or the "ecribellate" spiders, do not have these two structures. The two groups of orb-weaving spiders are morphologically very distinct, yet much similarity exists between their web forms and web construction behaviors. The cribellates retained the ancestral character, yet the cribellum was lost in the escribellates. The lack of a functional cribellum in araneoids is most likely synapomorphic.[
If the orb-weaver spiders are a ]monophyletic group
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
, the fact that only some species in the group lost a feature adds to the controversy. The cribellates are split off as a separate taxon that retained the primitive feature, which makes the lineage paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
and not synonymous with any real evolutionary lineage. The morphological and behavioral evidence surrounding orb webs led to the disagreement over a single or a dual origin.[ While early molecular analysis provided more support for a ]monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
origin,[ other evidence indicates that orb-weavers evolved earlier phylogenetically than previously thought, and were extinct at least three times during the ]Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
.
Reproduction
Araneid species either mate at the central hub of the web, where the male slowly traverses the web, trying not to get eaten, and when reaching the hub, mounts the female; or the male constructs a mating thread inside or outside the web to attract the female via vibratory courtship, and if successful, mating occurs on the thread.[
In the ]cannibalistic
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, bo ...
and polyandrous
Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wive ...
orb-web spider ''Argiope bruennichi
''Argiope bruennichi'' (wasp spider) is a species of orb-web spider distributed throughout central Europe, northern Europe, north Africa, parts of Asia, and the Azores archipelago. Like many other members of the genus '' Argiope'' (including St ...
'', the much smaller males are attacked during their first copulation and are cannibalized in up to 80% of the cases.[ All surviving males die after their second copulation, a pattern observed on other ''Argiope'' species. Whether a male survives his first copulation depends on the duration of the genital contact; males that jump off early (before 5 seconds) have a chance of surviving, while males that copulate longer (greater than 10 seconds) invariably die. Prolonged copulation, although associated with cannibalism, enhances sperm transfer and relative paternity.][
When males mated with a nonsibling female, the duration of their copulation was prolonged, and consequently the males were cannibalized more frequently.][ When males mated with a sibling female, they copulated briefly, thus were more likely to escape cannibalism. By escaping, their chance of mating again with an unrelated female likely would be increased. These observations suggest that males can adaptively adjust their investment based on the degree of genetic relatedness of the female to avoid ]inbreeding depression
Inbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness which has the potential to result from inbreeding (the breeding of related individuals). Biological fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and perpetuate its genetic material. In ...
.
Sexual size dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...
refers to physical differences between males and females of the same species. One such difference can be in size.
Araneids often exhibit size dimorphism typically known as extreme sexual size dimorphism, due to the extent of differences in size. The size difference among species of Araneidae ranges greatly. Some females, such as those of the '''', can be at least 9 times larger than the male, while others are only slightly larger than the male.[ The larger size female is typically thought to be selected through fecundity selection,][ the idea that bigger females can produce more eggs, thus more offspring. Although a great deal of evidence points towards the greatest selection pressure on larger female size, some evidence indicates that selection can favor small male size, as well.
Araneids also exhibit a phenomenon called ]sexual cannibalism
Sexual cannibalism is when an animal, usually the female, cannibalizes its mate prior to, during, or after copulation.Polis, G.A. & Farley, R.D. Behavior and Ecology of Mating in the journal of Arachnology 33-46 (1979). It is a trait observed in ...
, which is commonly found throughout the Araneidae. Evidence suggests a negative correlation between sexual size dimorphism and instances of sexual cannibalism. Other evidence, however, has shown that differences in cannibalistic events among araneids when having smaller or slightly larger males is advantageous.[
Some evidence has shown that extreme dimorphism may be the result of males avoiding detection by the females. For males of these species, being smaller in size may be advantageous in moving to the central hub of a web so female spiders may be less likely to detect the male, or even if detected as prey to be eaten, the small size may indicate little nutritional value. Larger-bodied male araneids may be advantageous when mating on a mating thread because the thread is constructed from the edge of the web orb to structural threads or to nearby vegetation.][ Here larger males may be less likely to be cannibalized, as the males are able to copulate while the female is hanging, which may make them safer from cannibalism.][ In one subfamily of Araneid that uses a mating thread, Gasteracanthinae, sexual cannibalism is apparently absent despite extreme size dimorphism.]
Genera
, the World Spider Catalog
The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...
accepts the following genera:
*'' Acacesia'' Simon, 1895 — South America, North America
*''Acantharachne
''Acantharachne'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders first described by Albert Tullgren in 1910.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Acantharachne'' was erected by Albert Tullgren in 1910 for the species '' Acantharachne cornuta''. There was already a g ...
'' Tullgren, 1910 — Congo, Madagascar, Cameroon
*''Acanthepeira
''Acanthepeira'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by George Marx in 1883.
Species
it contains five species:
*''Acanthepeira cherokee'' Levi, 1976 – USA
*''Acanthepeira labidura'' (Mello-Leitão, 1943) – Brazil
*'' ...
'' Marx, 1883 — North America, Brazil, Cuba
*'' Acroaspis'' Karsch, 1878 — New Zealand, Australia
*'' Acrosomoides'' Simon, 1887 — Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo
*''Actinacantha
''Actinacantha'' is a genus of Southeast Asian Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Actinacantha globulata''. It was first described by Eugène Simon in 1864, and has only been found in Indonesia.
References
Ar ...
'' Simon, 1864 — Indonesia
*'' Actinosoma'' Holmberg, 1883 — Colombia, Argentina
*'' Aculepeira'' Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 — North America, Central America, South America, Asia, Europe
*'' Acusilas'' Simon, 1895 — Asia
*'' Aethriscus'' Pocock, 1902 — Congo
*'' Aethrodiscus'' Strand, 1913 — Central Africa
*'' Aetrocantha'' Karsch, 1879 — Central Africa
*'' Afracantha'' Dahl, 1914 — Africa
*'' Agalenatea'' Archer, 1951 — Ethiopia, Asia
*'' Alenatea'' Song & Zhu, 1999 — Asia
*'' Allocyclosa'' Levi, 1999 — United States, Panama, Cuba
*''Alpaida
Alpaida (also Alpaïde, Alpaide, Alphaida, Alpoïde, Elphide, Elfide, Chalpaida; 654 – c. 714) was a Frankish noblewoman who hailed from the Liège area. She became the wife of Pippin of Herstal (635 or 640 – 16 December 714) and mother to ...
'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 — Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean
*'' Amazonepeira'' Levi, 1989 — South America
*'' Anepsion'' Strand, 1929 — Oceania, Asia
*'' Aoaraneus'' Tanikawa, Yamasaki & Petcharad, 2021 — China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
*''Arachnura
''Arachnura'', also known as drag-tailed spider, scorpion-tailed spider and scorpion spider, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders that was first described by A. Vinson in 1863. They are distributed across Australasia, Southern and Eastern Asia with ...
'' Vinson, 1863 — Asia, Oceania, Africa
*'' Araneus'' Clerck, 1757 — Africa, South America, North America, Oceania, Asia, Central America, Europe, Cuba
*''Araniella
''Araniella'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) first described by Ralph Vary Chamberlin, R. V. Chamberlin & Wilton Ivie in 1942. The genus includes ''Araniella cucurbitina'', the cucumber green spider.
Species
, the World Spid ...
'' Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942 — Asia
*''Aranoethra
''Aranoethra'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler
Arthur Gardiner Butler F.L.S., F.Z.S. (27 June 1844 – 28 May 1925) was an English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist. He worked ...
'' Butler, 1873 — Africa
*'' Argiope'' Audouin, 1826 — Asia, Oceania, Africa, North America, South America, Costa Rica, Cuba, Portugal
*'' Artifex'' Kallal & Hormiga, 2018 — Australia
*''Artonis
''Artonis'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. it contains only two species, '' A. gallana'' from Ethiopia and '' A. bituberculata'' from Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations ...
'' Simon, 1895 — Myanmar, Ethiopia
*''Aspidolasius
''Aspidolasius'' is a genus of South American orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Aspidolasius branicki''. It was first described by Eugène Simon
Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French n ...
'' Simon, 1887 — South America
*'' Augusta'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877 — Madagascar
*'' Austracantha'' Dahl, 1914 — Australia
*'' Backobourkia'' Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010 — Australia, New Zealand
*''Bertrana
''Bertrana'' is a genus of Central America, Central and South American Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1884. It includes some of the smallest known araneid orb-weavers. ''Bertrana striolata'' females are 4 ...
'' Keyserling, 1884 — South America, Central America
*'' Bijoaraneus'' Tanikawa, Yamasaki & Petcharad, 2021 — Africa, Asia, Oceania
*''Caerostris
''Caerostris'', sometimes called bark spiders, is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1868. Most species are found in south eastern Africa and neighboring Madagascar.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Caerostris'' ...
'' Thorell, 1868 — Africa, Asia
*'' Carepalxis'' L. Koch, 1872 — Oceania, South America, Mexico, Jamaica
*''Celaenia
''Celaenia'' is a genus of South Pacific orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell
Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell (3 May 1830 – 22 December 1901) was a Swedish arachnologist.
Thorell studied spiders with Giacomo Doria at the ...
'' Thorell, 1868 — Australia, New Zealand
*'' Cercidia'' Thorell, 1869 — Russia, Kazakhstan, India
*'' Chorizopes'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 — Asia, Madagascar
*'' Chorizopesoides'' Mi & Wang, 2018 — China, Vietnam
*''Cladomelea
''Cladomelea'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Adult females of the genus are bolas spider
A bolas spider is a member of the orb-weaver spider (family Araneidae) that, instead of spinning a ...
'' Simon, 1895 — South Africa, Congo
*'' Clitaetra'' Simon, 1889 — Africa, Sri Lanka
*'' Cnodalia'' Thorell, 1890 — Indonesia, Japan
*'' Coelossia'' Simon, 1895 — Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Madagascar
*'' Colaranea'' Court & Forster, 1988 — New Zealand
*'' Collina'' Urquhart, 1891 — Australia
*''Colphepeira
''Colphepeira'' is a genus of North American Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Colphepeira catawba''. It was first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1941, and has only been found in United States and Mexico.
Referen ...
'' Archer, 1941 — United States, Mexico
*'' Courtaraneus'' Framenau, Vink, McQuillan & Simpson, 2022 — New Zealand
*'' Cryptaranea'' Court & Forster, 1988 — New Zealand
*'' Cyclosa'' Menge, 1866 — Caribbean, Asia, Oceania, South America, North America, Central America, Africa, Europe
*'' Cyphalonotus'' Simon, 1895 — Asia, Africa
*''Cyrtarachne
''Cyrtarachne'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1868.
Species
it contains fifty-five species:
*''Cyrtarachne akirai, C. akirai'' Tanikawa, 2013 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan
*''Cyrtarachne av ...
'' Thorell, 1868 — Asia, Africa, Oceania
*''Cyrtobill
''Cyrtobill'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below ...
'' Framenau & Scharff, 2009 — Australia
*''Cyrtophora
''Cyrtophora'', the tent-web spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. Although they are in the "orb weaver" family, they do not build orb webs. Their tent-like, highly complex non-sticky web is sometim ...
'' Simon, 1864 — Asia, Oceania, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, South America, Africa
*''Deione
''Deione'' is a genus of Asian Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1898.
Species
it contains six species:
*''Deione cheni'' Mi & Li, 2021 – China
*''Deione lingulata'' Han, Zhu & Levi, 2009 – China
*''Deione ...
'' Thorell, 1898 — Myanmar
*'' Deliochus'' Simon, 1894 — Australia, Papua New Guinea
*'' Dolophones'' Walckenaer, 1837 — Australia, Indonesia
*'' Dubiepeira'' Levi, 1991 — South America
*''Edricus
''Edricus'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1890. it contains only two species.
References
Araneidae
Araneomorphae genera
Spiders of Central America
Spid ...
'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1890 — Mexico, Panama, Ecuador
*''Enacrosoma
''Enacrosoma'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão in 1932.
Species
it contains six species found from Mexico to Brazil:
*''Enacrosoma anomalum'' (Taczanowski, 1873) – Colombia, Per ...
'' Mello-Leitão, 1932 — South America, Central America, Mexico
*'' Encyosaccus'' Simon, 1895 — South America
*'' Epeiroides'' Keyserling, 1885 — Costa Rica, Brazil
*'' Eriophora'' Simon, 1864 — Oceania, United States, South America, Central America, Africa
*''Eriovixia
''Eriovixia'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Allan Frost Archer in 1951.
Species
it contains thirty-three species found throughout Africa and Asia:
*''Eriovixia bannaensis'' Zhou, Zhu & Zhang, 2017 – China
*''E ...
'' Archer, 1951 — Asia, Papua New Guinea, Africa
*'' Eustacesia'' Caporiacco, 1954 — French Guiana
*''Eustala
''Eustala'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895.
Species
it contains eighty-six species:
*''Eustala albiventer, E. albiventer'' (Eugen von Keyserling, Keyserling, 1884) – Brazil
*''Eustala anas ...
'' Simon, 1895 — South America, North America, Central America, Caribbean
*''Exechocentrus
''Exechocentrus'' is a genus of Madagascan orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae) first described by Eugène Simon in 1889. It is a bolas-using spider, capturing its prey with one or more sticky drops at the end of a single line of silk rather ...
'' Simon, 1889 — Madagascar
*''Faradja
''Faradja'' is a genus of Central African orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Faradja faradjensis''. It was first described by M. Grasshoff in 1970, and has only been found in Middle Africa
Central Africa is a subregion ...
'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Congo
*''Friula
''Friula'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Friula wallacei''. It was first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1897, and has been found only on Borneo. Pickard-Cambridge based his description and drawing on a ...
'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 — Indonesia
*'' Galaporella'' Levi, 2009 — Ecuador
*''Gasteracantha
''Gasteracantha'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first named by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. Species of the genus are known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, spiny orb-weavers, or spiny spiders. The females of most species are brightly colored wi ...
'' Sundevall, 1833 — Oceania, Asia, United States, Africa, Chile
*'' Gastroxya'' Benoit, 1962 — Africa
*'' Gea'' C. L. Koch, 1843 — Africa, Oceania, Asia, United States, Argentina
*'' Gibbaranea'' Archer, 1951 — Asia, Europe, Algeria
*''Glyptogona
''Glyptogona'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon
Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and pl ...
'' Simon, 1884 — Sri Lanka, Italy, Israel
*''Gnolus
''Gnolus'' is a genus of South American orb-weaver spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1879. Originally placed with the orb-weaving spiders, it was transferred to the pirate spiders in 1993, but moved back to orb-weaver f ...
'' Simon, 1879 — Chile, Argentina
*''Guizygiella
''Guizygiella'' is a genus of Asian long-jawed orb-weavers that was first described by M. S. Zhu, J. P. Kim & D. X. Song in 1997.
Species
it contains six species, found in Asia:
*'' Guizygiella guangxiensis'' (Zhu & Zhang, 1993) – China, Laos ...
'' Zhu, Kim & Song, 1997 — Asia
*''Herennia
''Herennia'' is a genus of spiders in the Family (biology), family Araneidae, found from India to northern Australia. It was formerly placed in a separate family, Nephilidae. While two species have been known since the 19th century, nine new spec ...
'' Thorell, 1877 — Asia, Oceania
*''Heterognatha
''Heterognatha'' is a genus of South American orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Heterognatha chilensis''. It was first described by H. Nicolet in 1849, and has only been found in Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of ...
'' Nicolet, 1849 — Chile
*'' Heurodes'' Keyserling, 1886 — Asia, Australia
*'' Hingstepeira'' Levi, 1995 — South America
*'' Hortophora'' Framenau & Castanheira, 2021 — Oceania
*'' Hypognatha'' Guérin, 1839 — South America, Central America, Mexico, Trinidad
*'' Hypsacantha'' Dahl, 1914 — Africa
*'' Hypsosinga'' Ausserer, 1871 — Asia, North America, Greenland, Africa
*'' Ideocaira'' Simon, 1903 — South Africa
*''Indoetra
''Indoetra'' is a monotypic genus of south Asian orb-weaver spider
Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family (biology), family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped spider web, webs often found i ...
'' Kuntner, 2006 — Sri Lanka
*'' Isoxya'' Simon, 1885 — Africa, Yemen
*'' Kaira'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 — North America, South America, Cuba, Guatemala
*''Kapogea
''Kapogea'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and belo ...
'' Levi, 1997 — Mexico, South America, Central America
*''Kilima
''Kilima'' is a genus of Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it cover ...
'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Congo, Seychelles, Yemen
*'' Larinia'' Simon, 1874 — Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Oceania, North America
*''Lariniaria
''Lariniaria'' is a genus of Asian orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Lariniaria argiopiformis''. It was first described by M. Grasshoff in 1970, and has only been found in Russia, China, Korea, and Japan
Japan ( ja, æ— ...
'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Asia
*'' Larinioides'' Caporiacco, 1934 — Asia
*''Lariniophora
''Lariniophora'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and ...
'' Framenau, 2011 — Australia
*'' Leviana'' Framenau & Kuntner, 2022 — Australia
*'' Leviellus'' Wunderlich, 2004 — Asia, France
*''Lewisepeira
''Lewisepeira'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Herbert Walter Levi in 1993.
Species
it contains four species from the Americas and the Caribbean:
*''Lewisepeira boquete'' Levi, 1993 – Panama
*''Lewisepeira chic ...
'' Levi, 1993 — Panama, Mexico, Jamaica
*''Lipocrea
''Lipocrea'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1878.
Species
it contains four species:
*''Lipocrea diluta'' Thorell, 1887 — Myanmar to Indonesia
*''Lipocrea epeiroides'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge ...
'' Thorell, 1878 — Asia, Europe
*'' Macracantha'' Simon, 1864 — India, China, Indonesia
*'' Madacantha'' Emerit, 1970 — Madagascar
*'' Mahembea'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Central and East Africa
*'' Mangora'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 — Asia, North America, South America, Central America, Caribbean
*'' Mangrovia'' Framenau & Castanheira, 2022 — Australia
*''Manogea
''Manogea'' is a genus of Central and South American orb-weaver spiders first described by Herbert Walter Levi Herbert Walter Levi (January 3, 1921 – November 3, 2014) was professor emeritus of zoology and curator of arachnology at the Museum ...
'' Levi, 1997 — South America, Central America, Mexico
*'' Mastophora'' Holmberg, 1876 — South America, North America, Central America, Cuba
*''Mecynogea
''Mecynogea'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1903. The name is derived from the Greek mekyno (μηυνω), meaning "to lengthen", and "gea" (γεα), meaning "earth".
Species
it contains nine species in th ...
'' Simon, 1903 — North America, South America, Cuba
*'' Megaraneus'' Lawrence, 1968 — Africa
*'' Melychiopharis'' Simon, 1895 — Brazil
*''Metazygia
''Metazygia'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1904. They physically resemble members of ''Nuctenea'', but they do not have fine setae on the carapace. ...
'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 — South America, Central America, North America, Caribbean
*''Metepeira
''Metepeira'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1903. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek μετά and the obsolete genus name '' Epeira'', denoting a genus similar to ''Epeira''.
Species
i ...
'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1903 — North America, Caribbean, South America, Central America
*''Micrathena
''Micrathena'', known as spiny orbweavers, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. ''Micrathena'' contains more than a hundred species, most of them Neotropical woodland-dwelling species. The name is der ...
'' Sundevall, 1833 — South America, Caribbean, Central America, North America
*'' Micrepeira'' Schenkel, 1953 — South America, Costa Rica
*'' Micropoltys'' Kulczyński, 1911 — Papua New Guinea, Australia
*''Milonia
''Milonia'' is a genus of Southeast Asian orb-weaver spiders first described by Tamerlan Thorell
Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell (3 May 1830 – 22 December 1901) was a Swedish arachnologist.
Thorell studied spiders with Giacomo Doria at the ...
'' Thorell, 1890 — Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar
*'' Molinaranea'' Mello-Leitão, 1940 — Chile, Argentina
*'' Nemoscolus'' Simon, 1895 — Africa
*'' Nemosinga'' Caporiacco, 1947 — Tanzania
*''Nemospiza
''Nemospiza'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Nemospiza conspicillata''. It was first described by Eugène Simon in 1903, and is known only from a female found in South Africa
South Africa, offi ...
'' Simon, 1903 — South Africa
*''Neogea
''Neogea'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Herbert Walter Levi Herbert Walter Levi (January 3, 1921 – November 3, 2014) was professor emeritus of zoology and curator of arachnology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harv ...
'' Levi, 1983 — Papua New Guinea, India, Indonesia
*''Neoscona
''Neoscona'', known as spotted orb-weavers and barn spiders, is a genus of orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae) first described by Eugène Simon in 1895 to separate these from other araneids in the now obsolete genus '' Epeira''. The name ''Neoscona'' ...
'' Simon, 1864 — Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North America, Cuba, South America
*''Nephila
''Nephila'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. ''Nephila'' consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world. They are commonly called golden silk orb-weavers, golden orb-weavers, gian ...
'' Leach, 1815 — Asia, Oceania, United States, Africa, South America
*''Nephilengys
''Nephilengys'' is a genus of tropical spiders of the family Araneidae, consisting of two currently described species. (The genus was formerly placed in the Nephilidae and Tetragnathidae.) The genus ''Nephilingis'' has been split off from this g ...
'' L. Koch, 1872 — Asia, Oceania
*''Nephilingis
''Nephilingis'' is a genus of spiders in the family Araneidae. It was split off from the genus '' Nephilengys'' in 2006. Both genera have been called hermit spiders from the habit of staying in their retreats during the day; alternatively the na ...
'' Kuntner, 2013 — South America, Africa
*'' Nicolepeira'' Levi, 2001 — Chile
*''Novakiella
''Novakiella'' is a genus of South Pacific orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Novakiella trituberculosa'' that has only been found in Australia and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Novakiella'' was first described by N. Court ...
'' Court & Forster, 1993 — Australia, New Zealand
*''Novaranea
''Novaranea'' is a genus of Oceania, South Pacific Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by D. J. Court & Raymond Robert Forster in 1988. , it contains only two species.
References
Araneidae
Araneomorphae genera
Spiders of Austr ...
'' Court & Forster, 1988 — Australia, New Zealand
*'' Nuctenea'' Simon, 1864 — Algeria, Asia, Europe
*''Oarces
''Oarces'' is a spider genus in the family Araneidae. It is the sister genus of '' Gnolus''. '' Gnolus'' and ''Oarces'' transferred from '' Mimitidae'' by Dimitrov et al., 2012: Suppl. 1, p. 15.
Species
* '' Oarces ornatus'' ''Mello-Leitã ...
'' Simon, 1879 — Brazil, Chile, Argentina
*'' Ocrepeira'' Marx, 1883 — South America, Central America, Caribbean, North America
*''Ordgarius
''Ordgarius'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugen von Keyserling in 1886. Adult females of the genus are bolas spiders, capturing their prey with one or more sticky drops at the end of a single line of silk rather than in ...
'' Keyserling, 1886 — Asia, Oceania
*'' Paralarinia'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Congo, South Africa
*'' Paraplectana'' Brito Capello, 1867 — Asia, Africa
*'' Paraplectanoides'' Keyserling, 1886 — Australia
*''Pararaneus
''Pararaneus'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by Lodovico di Caporiacco in 1940.
Species
it contains five species:
*'' Pararaneus cyrtoscapus'' (Pocock, 1898) – Central, East, Southern Africa, Socotra
*'' Pararaneus perfora ...
'' Caporiacco, 1940 — Madagascar
*'' Paraverrucosa'' Mello-Leitão, 1939 — South America
*'' Parawixia'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 — Mexico, South America, Asia, Papua New Guinea, Central America, Trinidad
*'' Parmatergus'' Emerit, 1994 — Madagascar
*''Pasilobus
''Pasilobus'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and bel ...
'' Simon, 1895 — Africa, Asia
*''Perilla
''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and veget ...
'' Thorell, 1895 — Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia
*''Pherenice
''Pherenice'' is a genus of Central African Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Pherenice tristis''. It was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1899, and has only been found in Cameroon.
References
Araneida ...
'' Thorell, 1899 — Cameroon
*'' Phonognatha'' Simon, 1894 — Australia
*''Pitharatus
''Pitharatus'' is a genus of Southeast Asian Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Pitharatus junghuhni''. It was first described by Eugène Simon in 1895 to contain the single species moved from the now obsolete "catch-a ...
'' Simon, 1895 — Malaysia, Indonesia
*''Plebs
In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizenship, Roman citizens who were not Patrician (ancient Rome), patricians, as determined by the capite censi, census, or in other words "commoners". Both ...
'' Joseph & Framenau, 2012 — Oceania, Asia
*'' Poecilarcys'' Simon, 1895 — Tunisia
*'' Poecilopachys'' Simon, 1895 — Oceania
*''Poltys :'' Poltys'' is also a genus of spiders
In Greek mythology, Poltys (Ancient Greek: Πόλτυς) is a mythical king and eponym of the Thracian city of Poltyobria (or ''Poltymbria''; also called Aenus), featured in Apollodorus's account of the st ...
'' C. L. Koch, 1843 — Asia, Africa, Oceania
*'' Popperaneus'' Cabra-GarcÃa & Hormiga, 2020 — Brazil, Paraguay
*''Porcataraneus
''Porcataraneus'' is a genus of Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro ...
'' Mi & Peng, 2011 — India, China
*''Pozonia
''Pozonia'' is a genus of orb-weaver spiders first described by E. Schenkel in 1953.
Species
it contains five species:
*'' Pozonia andujari'' Alayón, 2007 – Hispaniola
*'' Pozonia bacillifera'' (Simon
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon ...
'' Schenkel, 1953 — Caribbean, Paraguay, Mexico, Panama
*'' Prasonica'' Simon, 1895 — Africa, Asia, Oceania
*''Prasonicella
''Prasonicella'' is a genus of East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories ...
'' Grasshoff, 1971 — Madagascar, Seychelles
*'' Pronoides'' Schenkel, 1936 — Asia
*'' Pronous'' Keyserling, 1881 — Malaysia, Mexico, Central America, South America, Madagascar
*'' Pseudartonis'' Simon, 1903 — Africa
*'' Pseudopsyllo'' Strand, 1916 — Cameroon
*''Psyllo
''Psyllo'' is a genus of Central African Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Psyllo nitida''. It was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1899, and has only been found in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...
'' Thorell, 1899 — Cameroon, Congo
*'' Pycnacantha'' Blackwall, 1865 — Africa
*'' Rubrepeira'' Levi, 1992 — Mexico, Brazil
*''Salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
...
'' Framenau & Castanheira, 2022 — Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea
*'' Scoloderus'' Simon, 1887 — Belize, North America, Argentina, Caribbean
*''Sedasta
''Sedasta'' is a genus of African orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Sedasta ferox''. It was first described by Eugène Simon in 1894, olume dated 1892, this part published 1894./ref> and has only been found in West Africa. It ...
'' Simon, 1894 — West Africa
*'' Singa'' C. L. Koch, 1836 — Africa, Asia, North America, Europe
*'' Singafrotypa'' Benoit, 1962 — Africa
*'' Siwa'' Grasshoff, 1970 — Asia
*''Socca
Farinata (), socca (), torta di ceci (), or cecina () is a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour. It originated in Italy and later became a typical food of the Ligurian Sea coast, from Nice to Sardinia and Elba isl ...
'' Framenau, Castanheira & Vink, 2022 — Australia
*''Spilasma
''Spilasma'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and belo ...
'' Simon, 1897 — South America, Honduras
*''Spinepeira
''Spinepeira'' is a genus of South American orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Spinepeira schlingeri''. It was first described by Herbert Walter Levi in 1995, and has only been found in Peru
, image_flag = Fl ...
'' Levi, 1995 — Peru
*'' Spintharidius'' Simon, 1893 — South America, Cuba
*'' Taczanowskia'' Keyserling, 1879 — Mexico, South America
*'' Talthybia'' Thorell, 1898 — China, Myanmar
*''Tatepeira
''Tatepeira'' is a genus of Central America, Central and South American Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Herbert Walter Levi in 1995.
Species
it contains four species:
*''Tatepeira carrolli'' Levi, 1995 – Colombia
*''Tatepeira ...
'' Levi, 1995 — South America, Honduras
*'' Telaprocera'' Harmer & Framenau, 2008 — Australia
*'' Testudinaria'' Taczanowski, 1879 — South America, Panama
*''Thelacantha
''Thelacantha'' (Asian spinybacked orbweaver) is a genus of orb-weaver spiders containing the single species, ''Thelacantha brevispina''. It was first described by A. W. M. van Hasselt in 1882, and has been found in Australia, Madagascar, and ac ...
'' Hasselt, 1882 — Madagascar, Asia, Australia
*'' Thorellina'' Berg, 1899 — Myanmar, Papua New Guinea
*'' Togacantha'' Dahl, 1914 — Africa
*'' Trichonephila'' Dahl, 1911 — Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, South America
*'' Umbonata'' Grasshoff, 1971 — Tanzania
*'' Ursa'' Simon, 1895 — Asia, South America, South Africa
*''Verrucosa
''Verrucosa'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Henry Christopher McCook, Henry McCook in 1888. It contains almost fifty described species, most of which live in South America. The only species in the United States is ...
'' McCook, 1888 — North America, Panama, South America, Australia
*'' Wagneriana'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904 — South America, Central America, Caribbean, North America
*'' Witica'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1895 — Cuba, Mexico, Peru
*''Wixia
''Wixia'' is a genus of South American orb-weaver spiders first described by O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1882, containing the single species, ''Wixia abdominalis''. There used to be many more, but they have all been moved, dispersed between ''Ocrep ...
'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1882 — Brazil, Guyana, Bolivia
*'' Xylethrus'' Simon, 1895 — South America, Mexico, Jamaica, Panama
*'' Yaginumia'' Archer, 1960 — Asia
*'' Zealaranea'' Court & Forster, 1988 — New Zealand
*''Zilla
Zilla may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Vittore Zanetti Zilla (1864–1946), Italian painter
* Zilla Mays (1931–1995), American R&B, gospel singer and pioneering DJ
* Zilla (Godzilla), a fictional film monster
* Zilla (band), a trance ban ...
'' C. L. Koch, 1834 — Azerbaijan, India, China
*''Zygiella
''Zygiella'' is a genus of Araneidae, orb-weaver spiders first described by Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, F. O. Pickard-Cambridge in 1902. In 2015, ''Parazygiella'' was determined to be a taxonomic synonym of ''Zygiella'', and its species ...
'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902 — North America, Asia, Ukraine, South America
See also
* List of Araneidae species
These pages list all described species of the spider family Araneidae
Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and fore ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Spiders of Australia
Arachnology Home Pages
World Spider Catalog
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
Pictures of ''Mangora'' species
on the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ''Featured Creatures'' website
''Neoscona crucifera'' and ''N. domiciliorum''
on the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ''Featured Creatures'' website HOE
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