Spiders

(Order Araneae)

Overview
spider (Order Araneae)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 

Araneae is the order of arachnids commonly known as spiders. They occur worldwide on every continent, including Antarctica. As of August 2021, there are 49,623 known species in 4,100 genera in 129 families worldwide. There are about 3,400 species in North America and at least 466 species in Minnesota.

 
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Spiders are air-breathing arachnids. The body is divided into two parts. The front part is the cephalothorax, composed of the head and thorax fused together. The rear part is the abdomen. There are eight legs attached to the cephalothorax. All have a pair of large mouth parts (chelicerae) with fangs that inject venom. Most have six silk-spinning organs (spinnerets), some have two, four, or eight. Most have eight eyes, some have six, four, or two.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 24, 29, 30, 82.

 
  6/14/2022      
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Arachnida (arachnids)  
 

Order

Araneae (spiders)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Suborder Araneomorphae

Suborder Mesothelae

Suborder Mygalomorphae

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

spiders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Abdomen

In arachnids, the rear part of the segmented body.

 

Cephalothorax

The front part of the body of various arthropods, composed of the head region and the thoracic area fused together. Eyes, legs, and antennae are attached to this part.

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
 

a spider with her leftover food

 
    spider (Order Araneae)   spider (Order Araneae)  
           
 
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  Alfredo Colon
6/3/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

a spider with her leftover food

spider (Order Araneae)  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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Created: 6/14/2022

Last Updated:

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