About 40,000 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of Spider

Spider

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...

s have been described and they are classified into 109 families. The following is a list of families classified under the three suborders of the order Araneae. The list is limited to true spiders (members of Aranae) and does not include organisms that are sometime confused with spiders or have the word, spider, as part of their common name such as camel spiders (Solifugae

Solifugae

Solifugae are an order of Arachnida, known as camel spiders, wind scorpions and sun spiders or solifuges, comprising more than 1,000 described species in about 153 genera...

), harvestman (Opiliones

Opiliones

Opiliones are an order of arachnids commonly known as harvestmen. , over 6,400 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the real number of extant species may exceed 10,000. The order Opiliones can be divided into four suborders: Cyphophthalmi, Eupnoi, Dyspnoi and Laniatores...

) and spider mites

Spider mite

Spider mites are members of the Acari family Tetranychidae, which includes about 1,200 species. They generally live on the under sides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, and they can cause damage by puncturing the plant cells to feed...

.

Suborder Mygalomorphae

The Mygalomorphae

Mygalomorphae

The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:...

 are large spiders, including the Tarantula

Tarantula

Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...

s and are identified by the orientation of their fangs. The fangs point downwards.

Suborder Araneomorphae

The suborder Araneomorphae

Araneomorphae

The Araneomorphae are a suborder of spiders. They are distinguished by having fangs that oppose each other and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae , which have fangs that are nearly parallel in alignment.- Distinguishing characteristics :Note the difference in the...

 consists of most of the spiders that have fangs that point diagonally and cross each other in contrast to the previous suborder. Most of the familiar garden spiders belong to the Araneomorphae.

Archaeoidea

• Archaeidae
  Archaeidae
  The Archaeidae are a spider family with 25 described species in three genera.Their common name pelican spider stems from their specialised anatomy: they have evolved elongated jaws and necks for catching other spiders.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Holarchaeidae
  Holarchaeidae
  The Holarchaeidae are a spider family with only two described species in one genus.They are only up to 1.5mm in size and shiny black to beige in color...
  
  
• Mecysmaucheniidae
  Mecysmaucheniidae
  The Mecysmaucheniidae are a spider family with 25 described species in seven genera.-Distribution:Most genera only occur in South America , with two genera endemic to New Zealand.-Species:...
  
  
• Micropholcommatidae
  Micropholcommatidae
  The Micropholcommatidae are a spider family with 33 described species in eight genera. Micropholcommatids are extremely small, with body lengths typically between 0.5 and 2 mm...
  
  
• Pararchaeidae
  Pararchaeidae
  The Pararchaeidae are a spider family with 34 described species in seven genera.-Genera:Anarchaea Rix, 2006* Anarchaea corticola * Anarchaea falcata Rix, 2006...
  
  

Araneoidea

• Anapidae
  Anapidae
  The Anapidae are a family of rather small spiders with 145 described species in 35 genera. Most species are less than 2 mm long.In some species the pedipalps of the female are reduced to coxal stumps....
  
  
• Araneidae
• Cyatholipidae
  Cyatholipidae
  The Cyatholipidae are a spider family with 58 described species in 23 genera.They were discovered in the late 19th century in Africa. Cyatholipidae live mostly in moist, montane forests...
  
  
• Linyphiidae
  Linyphiidae
  Linyphiidae is a family of spiders, including more than 4,300 described species in 578 genera worldwide. This makes Linyphiidae the second largest family of spiders after the Salticidae. New species are still being discovered throughout the world, and the family is poorly known...
  
  
• Mysmenidae
  Mysmenidae
  The Mysmenidae are a spider family with almost 100 described species in more than twenty genera.-Distribution:Species occur in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, New Guinea and several islands.-Genera:* Acrobleps Hickman, 1979...
  
  
• Nesticidae
• Pimoidae
  Pimoidae
  The Pimoidae spider family is a rather small group of 37 species in four genera. They are monophyletic, and probably closest related to the Linyphiidae.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Sinopimoidae
  Sinopimoidae
  The spider family Sinopimoidae consists of only one genus, with a single described species. According to Hormiga , the familial status is dubious, with S...
  
  
• Symphytognathidae
  Symphytognathidae
  The Symphytognathidae are a spider family with 44 described species in six genera.The minute species Patu digua with its body size of only 0.37mm is considered to be one of the smallest spiders in the world.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Synaphridae
  Synaphridae
  The Synaphridae are a spider family with twelve described species in three genera.-Species:Africepheia Miller, 2007* Africepheia madagascariensis Miller, 2007 Cepheia Simon, 1894...
  
  
• Synotaxidae
  Synotaxidae
  The Synotaxidae are a spider family with 68 described species in 13 genera.-Distribution:Species of this family occur in Central and South America, New Zealand and Australia.-Genera:The categorization into subfamilies follows Joel Hallan's ....
  
  
• Tetragnathidae
• Nephilidae
  Nephilidae
  The Nephilidae are a spider family with 75 described species in four genera. They were formerly grouped in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae. The genus Singafrotypa was moved to Araneidae in 2002.All nephilid genera partially renew their webs....
  
  
• Theridiidae
  Theridiidae
  Theridiidae is a large family of spiders, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders. The diverse family includes over 2200 species in over 100 genera) of three-dimensional space-web-builders found throughout the world...
  
  
• Theridiosomatidae

Lycosoidea

• Ctenidae
• Lycosidae
• Oxyopidae
• Pisauridae
• Psechridae
  Psechridae
  The Psechridae are a family of spiders with about two dozen species in two living genera.They construct cribellate webs and are related to the Lycosidae. With body lengths of up to 2 cm and funnel webs more than 1 m in diameter, they are the biggest cribellate spiders. Psechrus species have been...
  
  
• Senoculidae
  Senoculidae
  The Senoculidae are a spider family with 31 described species in one genus.-Species:Senoculus Taczanowski, 1872* Senoculus albidus * Senoculus barroanus Chickering, 1941...
  
  
• Stiphidiidae
  Stiphidiidae
  The Stiphidiidae are a spider family with 94 described species in 13 genera. They are generally of medium size and build a horizontal tent-like web under rocks. Most species are speckled brown with long legs....
  
  
• Trechaleidae
  Trechaleidae
  The Trechaleidae are a spider family with 75 described species in 15 genera.-Distribution:Almost all species in this family live in Central and South America...
  
  
• Zoridae
  Zoridae
  The Zoridae are a spider family with more than 70 described species in 13 genera.Spiders in this family hunt without webs.It is very hard to determine species, especially in the Zora genus.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Zorocratidae
• Zoropsidae

Dictynoidea

• Anyphaenidae
• Cybaeidae
  Cybaeidae
  Cybaeidae is a family of spiders comprising twelve genera.-Genera:* Argyroneta Latreille, 1804 * Cedicoides Charitonov, 1946 * Cedicus Simon, 1875...
  
  
• Desidae
• Dictynidae
• Hahniidae
• Nicodamidae
  Nicodamidae
  The Nicodamidae are a spider family with 29 species in nine genera.They are small to medium sized spiders found in small sheet webs close to the ground in eucalypt forests...
  
  

incertae sedis

• Chummidae
  Chummidae
  The Chummidae are a tiny spider family with only two described species in one genus. Both were first described in 2001. Both species are known from males and females....
  
  
• Clubionidae
• Cycloctenidae
  Cycloctenidae
  Cycloctenidae is a spider family with 36 described species in 5 genera. The genera Plectophanes , Toxopsiella and Uzakia are all endemic to New Zealand, Cycloctenus is found in both Australia and New Zealand , while Galliena is endemic to Java...
  
  
• Homalonychidae
  Homalonychidae
  The Homalonychidae are a very small spider family with three described species in one genus.They do not build webs and are typically found under rocks or dead vegetation. At least the two North American species live in deserts, to which they are adapted by color and specialized setae which allow...
  
  
• Miturgidae

Gnaphosoidea

• Ammoxenidae
  Ammoxenidae
  The Ammoxenidae are a small spider family with 18 species in four genera.-Distribution:Two genera occur in Africa, the other two in Australia.-Species:Ammoxenus Simon, 1893...
  
  
• Cithaeronidae
  Cithaeronidae
  The Cithaeronidae are a small spider family with only six species in two genera.-Biology:Cithaeronidae are fast moving spiders which actively hunt at night and rest during the day in silken retreats they construct below rocks.. Female Cithaeron are about 5 to 7 mm long, males about 4 mm...
  
  
• Gallieniellidae
  Gallieniellidae
  The Gallieniellidae are a spider family with 48 species in ten genera.The species of this family are suspected to be specialized in ant-preying.-Distribution:...
  
  
• Gnaphosidae
• Lamponidae
  Lamponidae
  The Lamponidae are a spider family with about 200 described species in 23 genera.-Distribution:Species from this family are generally endemic to Australia, with the genus Centrocalia endemic to New Caledonia, and two Lampona species also occurring in New Zealand...
  
  
• Prodidomidae
  Prodidomidae
  The Prodidomidae are a spider family with about 300 species in 31 genera. They are sometimes called Long-Spinneret Ground Spiders.This family is part of the superfamily Gnaphosoidea. They are easily identified by the greatly elongated base of the piriform gland spigots. At least parts of their body...
  
  
• Trochanteriidae
  Trochanteriidae
  The Trochanteriidae are a spider family with 149 species in 18 genera.-Distribution:Most genera are endemic to Australia.Doliomalus is endemic to Chile, Trochanteria to Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil....