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Hacklemesh Weavers - Superfamily: Amaurobioidea
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The Hacklemesh Weavers, also known as Tangled Nest Spiders, are a superfamily within which a single family contains one subfamily of three genera (found in Tasmania only), and forty-seven unplaced genera. They are most abundant in Europe, as well as eastern and western North America, South America and there is some representation in southern Africa and the Far East as well. Australia does not miss out however with thirty-eight species in eight genera.
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Most Amaurobid species are black, grey or some shade of brown often with distinctive patterns on the oval abdomens but, there are some colouful members of the superfamily as well. They are generally small to medium sized but of fairly stout build with short-ish legs.
Of the thirty-eight Australian species only six may be encountered in the Northern Rivers but it is likely you may need to search for them as they tend be rather shy in the daytime. |
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Many species of the Family: Amaurobiidae live in tube-like structures, often with two openings, that they build underneath rock or other large forest debris. These tubes are usually lined with small pieces of litter. The female spider will deposit her eggs in the tube and once the eggs have hatched, she will continue to guard the young. The slightly smaller male spider can often be found living in the tube as well. Some Amaurobids are arboreal and most of the Australian species do not spin a web.
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Family: Amaurobiidae
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Dardarus saltuosus
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Dardarus tamborinensius (possible occurrence)
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Daviesa lubinae (possible occurrence)
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Storenosoma altum
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Storenosoma supernum
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Storenosoma terraneum
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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: Amaurobioidea (Hacklemesh Weavers)
> Family: Amaurobiidae
> Genus: Dardarus
> Species: D. saltuosus
> Species: D. tamborinensis ^
> Genus: Daviesa
> Species: D. lubinae ^
> Genus: Storenosoma
> Species: S. altum
> Species: S. supernum
> Species: S. terraneum
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Davies, V. T. (1976). 'Dardurus, a new genus of amaurobiid spider from eastern Australia, with descriptions of six new species.' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17(3): 399-412, pl 59-60.
> Davies, V. T. (1993). 'A new spider genus (Araneae: Amaurobioidea) from rainforests of Queensland, Australia.' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 33: 483-489.
> Koçak, A. Ö. and Kemal, M. (2008a). 'New synonyms and replacement names in the genus group taxa of Araneida.' Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara, Miscellaneous Papers 139-140: 1-4.
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genlist/3/Amaurobiidae
> Davies, V. T. (1976). 'Dardurus, a new genus of amaurobiid spider from eastern Australia, with descriptions of six new species.' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17(3): 399-412, pl 59-60.
> Davies, V. T. (1993). 'A new spider genus (Araneae: Amaurobioidea) from rainforests of Queensland, Australia.' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 33: 483-489.
> Koçak, A. Ö. and Kemal, M. (2008a). 'New synonyms and replacement names in the genus group taxa of Araneida.' Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara, Miscellaneous Papers 139-140: 1-4.
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genlist/3/Amaurobiidae
Photographic contributions: