Goblin Spiders - Family: Oonopidae
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With Nearly 2,000 species in 115 genera the Oonopidae are the largest haplogyne family. Despite a somewhat patchy distribution, in general they are found in temperate to tropical climates worldwide. In Australia they are most common in eastern Queensland and N.S.W. as well as the western parts of W.A. Species in 7 genera are listed as being represented in the Northern Rivers but due to the fact that most Goblin Spiders are no larger than 3.0 mm in bodylength, it is quite likely that there are many more species from this family yet to be found locally.
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Goblin spiders usually have six eyes although four- or two-eyed Oonopids do occur as well. There are also cave-dwelling species without eyes at all. Five species of Oonopids that live in caves exclusively are known from Iran and others are found elsewhere.
Fossils of Oonopid spiders have been found a number of locations worldwide with the oldest ambers containing remains of these spiders, particularly of the Genus: Orchestina, dating back to the early Cretaceous, about 110 Mya. |
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Haplogyne spiders are generally distinguished from Entelegynes by the simplicity of the female sexual organs. In Oonopids this particular feature can not be used as the females in this family have a more complex anatomy than usual. This is however not the only feature for which the Oonopids stand out . Other features such as, fused testes, modified mouthparts, sclerotized pedipalps, sternal pouches, leg modifications and others also go a long way to set species in this family apart from the rest.
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Subfamily: Oonopinae
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Gamasomorpha loricata (possible occurrence)
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Grymeus sp.
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Ischnothyreus arcus (possible occurrence)
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Ischnothyreus bupariorbis (likely occurrence)
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Ischnothyreus hamatus
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Ischnothyreus pterodactyl (likely occurrence)
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Ischnothyreus raveni
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Oonops leai (possible occurrence)
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Opopaea acuminata
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Opopaea addsae
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Opopaea antoniae
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Opopaea leica
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Opopaea magna (possible occurrence)
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Opopaea milledgei
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Opopaea olivernashi
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Opopaea rogerkitchingi
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Opopaea simplex
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Opopaea sown
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Opopaea speighti
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Opopaea stanisci
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Opopaea suelewisae
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Opopaea yukii
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Xestapsis sp.
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Subfamily: Orchestininae
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Orchestina sp.
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The Family: Oonopidae is divided into three subfamilies, Oonopinae, Orchestininae and Sulsulinae. Neither 'iNaturalist' nor the 'Atlas of living Australia' make mention of this subdivision. It is used here with genera as listed on 'Wikispecies'.
Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Haplogynae (Haplogyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Dysderoidea (Goblin-, Tunnel Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Oonopidae (Goblin Spiders)
> Subfamily: Oonopinae
> Genus: Gamasomorpha
> Species: G. loricata ^
> Genus: Grymeus
> Species: ?
> Genus: Ischnothyreus
> Species: I. arcus ^
> Species: I. bupariorbis *
> Species: I. hamatus
> Species: I. pterodactyl *
> Species: I. raveni
> Genus: Oonops
> Species: O. leai ^
> Genus: Opopaea
> Species: O. acuminata
> Species: O. addsae
> Species: O. antoniae
> Species: O. leica
> Species: O. magna ^
> Species: O. milledgei
> Species: O. olivernashi
> Species: O. rogerkitchingi
> Species: O. simplex
> Species: O. sown
> Species: O. speighti
> Species: O. stanisci
> Species: O. suelewisae
> Species: O. yukii
> Genus: Xestaspis
> Species: ?
> Subfamily: Orchestininae
> Genus: Orchestina
> Species: ?
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Baehr, B.C., Harvey, M.S., Smith, H.M. and Ott, R.m (2013). 'The goblin spider genus Opopaea in Australia and the Pacific islands (Araneae: Oonopidae).' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, Nature 58: 107-338.
> Burger, M., Nentwig, W. and Kropf, C., (2003). 'Complex genital structures indicate cryptic female choice in a haplogyne spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Oonopidae, Gamasomorphinae).' Journal of Morphology 255: 80-93.
> Hosseini, M.J., Grismado, C.J., Sadeghi, S. and Bakhshi, Y., (2015). 'Description of the first cave dwelling species of the spider genus Trilacuna (Tong & Li) from Iran (Araneae: Oonopidae).' Zootaxa. 2015 Jun 13;3972(4):549-61. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3972.4.6. PMID: 26249510.
> Penney, D., (2003). 'Spiders in Upper Cretaceous Amber from New Jersey (Arthropoda: Araneae).' Palaeontology. 45. 709 - 724. 10.1111/1475-4983.00256.
https://arachnids.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/86/descriptions
https://research.amnh.org/oonopidae/aboutoonopidae/aboutoonopidae.php
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-6185.html
> Baehr, B.C., Harvey, M.S., Smith, H.M. and Ott, R.m (2013). 'The goblin spider genus Opopaea in Australia and the Pacific islands (Araneae: Oonopidae).' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, Nature 58: 107-338.
> Burger, M., Nentwig, W. and Kropf, C., (2003). 'Complex genital structures indicate cryptic female choice in a haplogyne spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Oonopidae, Gamasomorphinae).' Journal of Morphology 255: 80-93.
> Hosseini, M.J., Grismado, C.J., Sadeghi, S. and Bakhshi, Y., (2015). 'Description of the first cave dwelling species of the spider genus Trilacuna (Tong & Li) from Iran (Araneae: Oonopidae).' Zootaxa. 2015 Jun 13;3972(4):549-61. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3972.4.6. PMID: 26249510.
> Penney, D., (2003). 'Spiders in Upper Cretaceous Amber from New Jersey (Arthropoda: Araneae).' Palaeontology. 45. 709 - 724. 10.1111/1475-4983.00256.
https://arachnids.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/86/descriptions
https://research.amnh.org/oonopidae/aboutoonopidae/aboutoonopidae.php
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-6185.html
Photographic contributions: