Some ways people categorise spiders

The order spiders (Araneae) is divided into various groups. Here is an overview.

Here follows an introduction into different methods of taxonomic classification of our friendly eight-legged creatures the spiders (Araneae).

The order of Spiders (Araneae) and its suborders

The lecture I attended organised the order of spiders (Araneae) into three distinct suborders, namely:

• Mesothelae – Segmented Spiders, very “primitive”
• Mygalomorphae – This includes some trapdoor spiders, what people often refer to as “Tarantulas” and some other hairy fellows. These spiders primarily burrow.
• Araneomorphae – The most frequent order in Europe. Not as big and scary as the previous mentioned ones.

In all of the aforementioned orders exist one or more exceptions which might surprise many people. It initially surprised me, as I got to know these creatures more and more. I want to remark that some literature divides the suborders differently:

• Mesothelae (suborder) – Visible segments on Opisthosoma
• Opisthothelae (suborder) – No visible segments on Opisthosoma
  • Mygalomorphae (infraorder)
  • Araneomorphae (infraorder)

Last updated: 02. January 2025