ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF SPIDERS (ARANEI) IN RUSSIA AND IN THE WORLD
Data on the spider species diversity in the world fauna and in Russia are presented. A growth of the knowledge of the species diversity in different periods is discussed. The most productive arachnologists, who described over 1000 species are named, and all the Russian arachnologists who described over 30 species are listed. A history of the spider classification is briefly surveyed. Based on the adopted methodology, the history of the spider classification can be conventionally subdivided in four partly overlapping periods: 1) «ecological», 1678-1886; 2) morphological, 1864-2009; 3) synthetic, 1967-..., and 4) cladistic, 1976-...