Koch placed "Nephilengys" in the family Araneidae. In 1894, Eugène Simon erected the subfamily Nephilinae within the Araneidae for "Nephila" and related genera, including "Nephilengys". This classification was used until the late 20th century, when cladistic studies initially suggested that nephilines belonged in the Tetragnathidae, although this was later refuted. In 2006, Matjaž Kuntner removed the nephilines from Araneidae and raised them to the family Nephilidae. Molecular phylogenetic studies from 2004 onwards consistently placed nephilids within Araneidae. Accordingly in 2016, Dimitar Dimitrov et al. returned the group to their traditional position as a subfamily of Araneidae.