Ground Orb-weaving Spiders - Family: Anapidae
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A family with a widespread global distribution, the Anapidae are mostly small to very small spiders with a body length of less than two millimeters. They are not usually seen as they prefer to hide in leaf litter, in mosses or in trees underneath loose bark. Currently 232 species in 58 genera have been described but due to their small size these numbers are like to increase over time. Taxonomically this family has undergone some changes recently as well.
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Their small size does not make identification easy but their are some features that set the Anapidae apart. Usually they have 6 eyes rather than the more usual eight with two of them either vestigial or gone altogether. The eyes are also raised higher than in most other spiders and to accommodate this the carapace is raised. Many species have both dorsal and ventral scutes on the abdomen which often gives the abdomen a distorted shape with helps in identification.
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These little spiders build a small orb web of two to three centimeters in diameter normally very low to the ground with a line going upwards from the centre pulling the web into a cone. The spiders are usually a reddish brown although some have very dark brown to black bodies. Legs do not have spines and are not very hairy.
Ground Orb-weaving Spiders are also known as Micro Gondwanan Spiders or Anapid Spiders. |
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Chasmocephalon iluka
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Maxanapis dorrigo
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Maxanapis tenterfield
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Micropholcomma longissimum
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Normplatnicka lamingtonensis
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Octanapis cann (likely occurrence)
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Octanapis octocula (likely occurrence)
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Queenslanapis lamington (possible occurrence)
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Raveniella apopsis (likely occurrence)
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Taphiassa sp.
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Entelegynea (Entelegyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Araneoidea (Araneoid Spiders)
> Family: Anapidae (Anapid Spiders)
> Genus: Chasmocephalon
> Species: C. iluka
> Genus: Maxanapis
> Species: M. dorrigo
> Species: M. tenterfield
> Genus: Micropholcomma
> Species: M. longissimum
> Genus: Normplatnicka
> Species: N. lamingtonensis
> Genus: Octanapis
> Species: O. cann *
> Species: O. octocula *
> Genus: Queenslanapis
> Species: Q. lamington ^
> Genus: Raveniella
> Species: R. apopsis *
> Genus: Taphiassa
> Species: unknown
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
^ Framenau V.W., Baehr B.C. and Zborowski P., (2014). 'A Guide to the Spiders of Australia.' Reed New Holland Publishers Pty. Ltd., Chatswood, N.S.W.
https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Anapidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carapace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scute#:~:text=A%20scute%20or%20scutum%20(Latin,and%20the%20feet%20of%20birds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestigiality
https://www.gbif.org/species/7356
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/statistics/
^ Framenau V.W., Baehr B.C. and Zborowski P., (2014). 'A Guide to the Spiders of Australia.' Reed New Holland Publishers Pty. Ltd., Chatswood, N.S.W.
https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Anapidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapidae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carapace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scute#:~:text=A%20scute%20or%20scutum%20(Latin,and%20the%20feet%20of%20birds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestigiality
https://www.gbif.org/species/7356
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/statistics/
Photographic contributions: