Austrochiloid Spiders - Superfamily: Austrochiloidea
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The Austrochiloid Spiders are a small superfamily with twentysix species in ten genera in two families, one, of mainly small spiders, endemic to South America and the other, of mainly medium to large spiders, endemic to Australia and New Zealand. They are a mix of cribellate and ecribellate spiders and some build large webs of tangled threads sometimes with a separate retreat for the spider to shelter in.
Some species of are found in caves and mine adits where they spend all of their lives. Their females produce egg sacs on stalks that are suspended from the walls or tceiling of the cave. Like most other spiders, browns, greys and blacks are the usual colours, often with mottled patterns. Austrochiloids all posess eight eyes. |
The Gradungulidae are a rather small family found in Eastern Australia and New Zealand only. Of the seventeen species (in eight genera) four species from two genera may be seen in the Northern Rivers. The Large-clawed Spiders are aptly named as their 'tarsal claws' are rather oversized. They are usually nocturnal hunters that search for and then ambush their prey. Large-clawed Spiders from the genera: Kaiya and Tarlina may be found in a variety of forest habitats from Northern Queensland to Victoria usually under rocks, logs or leaf litter. The female produces a spherical egg sac that she suspends, often in log cavities, from a single, thin stalk. The egg sacs are a pinkish brown and commonly disguised by using soil particles and organic detritus.
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The Garingulids were first described in 1955 by R.R. Forster (1922-2000), a renowned New Zealand arachnologist and author of a number of books and other publications on New Zealands' Arachnids.
Large-clawed Spiders are not found in Tasmania but, the well-known Tasmanian Cave Spider, Hickmania troglodytes, is considered a close relative. |
Family: Gradungulidae
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Kaiya parnabyi (likely occurrence)
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Tarlina noorundi
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Tarlina smithersi
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Tarlina woodwardi
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Haplogynae (Haplogyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Austrochiloidea (Austrochiloid Spiders)
> Family: Gradungulidae (Large-clawed Spiders)
> Genus: Kaiya
> Species: K. parnabyi *
> Genus: Tarlina
> Species: T. noorundi
> Species: T. smithersi
> Species: T. woodwardi
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
^ Forster, R.R., (1955). 'A new family of spiders of the sub-order Hypochilomorphae.' Pacific Science 9: 277-285.
^ Forster, R.R., Platnick, N.I. and Gray, M.R., (1987). 'A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae).' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 185: 1-116.
https://www.arachne.org.au/default.asp
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_leg
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Forster
^ Forster, R.R., (1955). 'A new family of spiders of the sub-order Hypochilomorphae.' Pacific Science 9: 277-285.
^ Forster, R.R., Platnick, N.I. and Gray, M.R., (1987). 'A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae).' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 185: 1-116.
https://www.arachne.org.au/default.asp
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_leg
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Forster
Photographic contributions: