It was erected by Hou and Bergström in 1997[5] to encompass a wide diversity of arthropods that would traditionally have been assigned to the Trilobitomorpha.

Trilobites, in part due to abundance of findings owing to their mineralized exoskeletons, are by far the best recorded, diverse, and long lived members of the clade.

[7] The limbs of artiopods have also been suggested to bear exites, which were described as similar those of the megacheiran Leanchoilia and probably not homologous to those present in crustaceans.

[12][13] The enigmatic artiopodan-like arthropod Kiisortoqia, which bears large "frontal appendages" has been suggested to be closely related to Artiopoda in some analyses.

[14] Squamacula clypeata Zhiwenia coronata Australimicola spriggi Acanthomeridion serratum Acanthomeridion anacanthus Bailongia longicaudata Retifacies abnormalis Kwanyinaspis maotiashanensis Olenoides serratus Eoredlichia intermedia Haifengella corona Kuamaia lata Helmetia expansa Tegopelte gigas Skioldia aldna Saperion glumaceum Cindarella eucalla Luohuilinella deletres Luohuilinella rarus Sinoburius lunaris Xandarella spectaculum Phytophilaspis pergamena Buenaspis forteyi Tariccoia arrusensis Soomaspis splendida Liwia convexa Naraoia spinosa Naraoia compacta Misszhouia longicaudata Sidneyia inexpectans Emeraldella brocki Cheloniellon calmani Triopus draboviensis Duslia insignis Kodymirus vagans Eozetetes gemmelli Beckwithia typa Chlupacaris dubia Quasimodaspis brentsae Tremaglaspis unite Tremaglaspis vanroyi Brachyaglaspis singularis Cyclopites vulgaris Australaglaspis stonyensis Uarthrus instabilis Flobertia kochi Aglaspella granulifera Gogglops ensifer Glypharthrus simplex Aglaspis spinifer Chraspedops modesta Glypharthrus thomasi Glypharthrus trispinicaudatus Glypharthrus magnoculus