Avicularioidea is a clade of mygalomorph spiders, one of the two main clades into which mygalomorphs are divided (the other being the Atypoidea). It has been treated at the rank of superfamily.
Taxonomy The division of the Mygalomorphae into two clades, Atypoidea and Avicularioidea, has been established in many studies. Avicularioidea has been treated as a superfamily (at one time including all mygalomorph spiders), although other authors have placed superfamilies, such as Theraphosoidea, within Avicularioidea. The name is based on the family name "Aviculariidae", a junior synonym of Theraphosidae, ultimately deriving from the genus Avicularia.
The Atypoidea retain some vestiges of abdominal segmentation in the form of dorsal tergites; the Avicularioidea lack these. Relationships within the Avicularioidea are not settled . Some established families have been shown not to be monophyletic. In 2018, the family Hexathelidae was split up, and three new families created within the Avicularioidea: Atracidae, Macrothelidae, and Porrhothelidae. Further changes are possible in the future.
Families The families included in the Avicularoidea are:
Actinopodidae Anamidae Atracidae – Australian funnel-web spiders Barychelidae – brushed trapdoor spiders Bemmeridae Ctenizidae Cyrtaucheniidae – wafer trapdoor spiders Dipluridae – curtain-web spiders Entypesidae Euagridae Euctenizidae Halonoproctidae Hexathelidae Idiopidae – armoured trapdoor spiders Ischnothelidae Macrothelidae Microhexuridae Microstigmatidae Migidae – tree trapdoor spiders Nemesiidae Paratropididae – baldlegged spiders Porrhothelidae Pycnothelidae Stasimopidae Theraphosidae – tarantulas
Also included is the extinct family Fossilcalcaridae (Cretaceous) and the incertae sedis genera Cretamygale (Cretaceous) and Rosamygale (Triassic).
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