ARANEIDAE SIMON, 1895

Saupe, Erin E., Selden, Paul A. & Penney, David, 2010, First fossil Molinaranea Mello-Leitão, 1940 (Araneae: Araneidae), from middle Miocene Dominican amber, with a phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical analysis of the genus, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (4), pp. 711-725 : 714

ARANEIDAE SIMON, 1895

Remarks: Scharff & Coddington (1997) found four synapomorphies that support the monophyly of Araneidae . Our specimen shows three of these: the mesal orientation of the cymbium, possession of a radix, and the wide separation of lateral eye groups from the medians. The fourth, a narrow posterior median eye tapetum, is not visible in the fossil specimen. A grooved book lung cover supports the monophyly of the Araneidae apart from Chorizopes Pickard- Cambridge, 1870 ( Scharff & Coddington, 1997), and this character is also present in our specimen. Further, possession of a globose abdomen that overhangs the carapace, three tarsal claws, six simple spinnerets, and numerous spines on the legs are all traits commonly found in both the Araneidae and our specimen.