White-marked Ground Spiders - Family: Lamponidae
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The Lamponidae are a family of mostly Australian spiders. Of the 192 species in 23 genera only 4 species do not occur in Australia and 2 occur both in Australia and elsewhere (P.N.G.). All up the Lamponidae account for a sizable percentage of Australian spiders. Among the Lamponid are the so-called 'White-tip -' or 'White'tailed Spiders'. These are spiders that have a 'reputation' of being among the most dangerous in the world with their bite causing necrosis of the skin and underlying tissue. This was based on six reports of the ailment, attributed to unidentified spider bites, between 1987 and 2001. A 2003 study of 130 cases of spiderbites that were definitely done by White-tailed Spiders, localised pain and red, itchy skin were the only symptoms encountered.
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Having been proven innocent of doing serious harm the myths about 'dangerous' White-tailed Spiders prevail however. And because of this many would be surprised to hear the Lamponids, are only medium-sized, 'vagrant' spiders that hunt for their food mostly at night. During the day are likely to be sheltering somewhere away from the light. They are often dark coloured without too many markings. Legs are sometimes lighter in colour i.e. dark red and of course many have a distinctive little white tip at the end of the abdomen. The commonly range in length between 1.2 and 1.7 cms and their cepahalothorax and abdomen both tend to be of an somewhat elongated, oval shape. The female produces an egg sac which may contain 50 - 90 eggs.
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The most common spiders in this family belong to the Genus: Lampona and members of this genus - the largest in the Lamponidae - are very difficult to tell apart. Fortunately modern and readable descriptions are available. The American arachnologist, Prof. Emer. Norman I. Platnick (1951 - 2020) devoted considerable time reviewing spider taxonomy and the Family: Lamponidae owes its' current composition and status as a family mostly to Prof. Platnick's published works of 2000 and 2004. Only a mere 18 species have retained the suffix of the person who originally named them (mainly Simon and Koch), most others now have "Platnick, 2000" and occassionally "Platnick 2004" behind their scientific name.
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Asadipus kunderang
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Centroina dorrigo
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Centroina whian
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Centrothele gordon
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Centrothele mutica
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Centrothele nardy
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Centsymplia glorious
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Graycassis boss
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Graycassis bruxner
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Graycassis chichester
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Graycassis dorrigo
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Graycassis enfield
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Graycassis marengo
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Graycassis scrub
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Graycassis styx
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Lampona braemar
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Lampona bunya
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Lampona chinghee
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Lampona cudgen
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Common White-tail Spider - Lampona cylindrata
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Lampona fife
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Lampona lamington (possible occurrence)
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Eastern White-tail Spider - Lampona murina
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Lampona pusilla (possible occurrence)
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Lampona superbus (possible occurrence)
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Lampona talbingo
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Lamponella ainslie (possible occurrence)
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Lamponella beaury
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Lamponoides coottha
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Lamponova wau
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Longepi canungra
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Notsodipus muckera (possible occurrence)
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Paralampona kiola
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Platylampona mazeppa
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Prionosternum nitidiceps
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Pseudolampona emmett
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Pseudolampona taroom
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Pseudolampona warrandyte (possible occurrence)
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Queenvic goanna
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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: Gnaphosoidea (Ground Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Lamponidae (White-marke Ground Spiders)
> Genus: Asadipus
> Species: A. kunderang
> Genus: Centroina
> Species: C. dorrigo
> Species: C. whian
> Genus: Centrothele (White-ringed Spiders)
> Species: C. gordon
> Species: C. mutica
> Species: C. nardy
> Genus: Centsymplia
> Species: C. glorious
> Genus: Graycassis
> Species: G. boss
> Species: G. bruxner
> Species: G. chichester
> Species: G. dorrigo
> Species: G. enfield
> Species: G. marengo
> Species: G. scrub
> Species: G. styx
> Genus: Lampona - White-tailed Spiders
> Species: L. braemar
> Species: L. bunya
> Species: L. chinghee
> Species: L. cudgen
> Species: L. cylindrata - Common White-tail Spider
> Species: L. fife
> Species: L. lamington ^
> Species: L. murina - Eastern White-tail Spider
> Species: L. pusilla ^
> Species: L. superbus ^
> Species: L. talbingo
> Genus: Lamponella
> Species: L. ainslie ^
> Species: L. beaury
> Genus: Lamponoides
> Species: L. coottha
> Genus: Lamponova
> Species: L. wau
> Genus: Longepi
> Species: L. canungra
> Genus: Notsodipus
> Species: N. muckera ^
> Genus: Paralampona
> Species: P. kiola
> Genus: Platylampona
> Species: P. mazeppa
> Genus: Prionosternum
> Species: P. nitidiceps
> Genus: Pseudolampona
> Species: P. emmett
> Species: P. taroom
> Species: P. warrandyte ^
> Genus: Queenvic
> Species: Q. goanna
* = likely
^ = possibly
Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Entelegynea (Entelegyne Spiders)
> Superfamily: Gnaphosoidea (Ground Spiders and Allies)
> Family: Lamponidae (White-marke Ground Spiders)
> Genus: Asadipus
> Species: A. kunderang
> Genus: Centroina
> Species: C. dorrigo
> Species: C. whian
> Genus: Centrothele (White-ringed Spiders)
> Species: C. gordon
> Species: C. mutica
> Species: C. nardy
> Genus: Centsymplia
> Species: C. glorious
> Genus: Graycassis
> Species: G. boss
> Species: G. bruxner
> Species: G. chichester
> Species: G. dorrigo
> Species: G. enfield
> Species: G. marengo
> Species: G. scrub
> Species: G. styx
> Genus: Lampona - White-tailed Spiders
> Species: L. braemar
> Species: L. bunya
> Species: L. chinghee
> Species: L. cudgen
> Species: L. cylindrata - Common White-tail Spider
> Species: L. fife
> Species: L. lamington ^
> Species: L. murina - Eastern White-tail Spider
> Species: L. pusilla ^
> Species: L. superbus ^
> Species: L. talbingo
> Genus: Lamponella
> Species: L. ainslie ^
> Species: L. beaury
> Genus: Lamponoides
> Species: L. coottha
> Genus: Lamponova
> Species: L. wau
> Genus: Longepi
> Species: L. canungra
> Genus: Notsodipus
> Species: N. muckera ^
> Genus: Paralampona
> Species: P. kiola
> Genus: Platylampona
> Species: P. mazeppa
> Genus: Prionosternum
> Species: P. nitidiceps
> Genus: Pseudolampona
> Species: P. emmett
> Species: P. taroom
> Species: P. warrandyte ^
> Genus: Queenvic
> Species: Q. goanna
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Isbister, G.K. and Gray, M.R., (2002). 'A prospective study of 750 definite spider bites, with expert spider identification.' QJM. 2002 Nov;95(11):723-31.
doi: 10.1093/qjmed/95.11.723. PMID: 12391384.
> Isbister, G.K. and Gray, M.R., (2003). 'White-tail spider bite: a prospective study of 130 definite bites by Lampona species.' Med J Aust 2003; 179 (4): 199-202.
doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05499.x
> Platnick, N.I., (2000). 'A relimitation and revision of the Australasian ground spider family Lamponidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea).' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 245: 1-330. DOI:10.1206/0003-0090 (2000)245<0001:ARAROT>2.0CO;2
> Platnick, N.I., (2004). 'On a third group of flattened ground spiders from Australia (Araneae, Lamponidae).' American Museum Novitates 3462: 1-7.
DOI: 10. 1206/0003-0082(2004)462>0001:OATGOF>2.0.CO;2
https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/spiders/white-tailed-spiders
https://spideridentifications.com/lamponidae-spiders
https://web.archive.org/web/20110628231137/http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/index.php
https://web.archive.org/web/20110222062758/http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/innocents.html
> Isbister, G.K. and Gray, M.R., (2002). 'A prospective study of 750 definite spider bites, with expert spider identification.' QJM. 2002 Nov;95(11):723-31.
doi: 10.1093/qjmed/95.11.723. PMID: 12391384.
> Isbister, G.K. and Gray, M.R., (2003). 'White-tail spider bite: a prospective study of 130 definite bites by Lampona species.' Med J Aust 2003; 179 (4): 199-202.
doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05499.x
> Platnick, N.I., (2000). 'A relimitation and revision of the Australasian ground spider family Lamponidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea).' Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 245: 1-330. DOI:10.1206/0003-0090 (2000)245<0001:ARAROT>2.0CO;2
> Platnick, N.I., (2004). 'On a third group of flattened ground spiders from Australia (Araneae, Lamponidae).' American Museum Novitates 3462: 1-7.
DOI: 10. 1206/0003-0082(2004)462>0001:OATGOF>2.0.CO;2
https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/spiders/white-tailed-spiders
https://spideridentifications.com/lamponidae-spiders
https://web.archive.org/web/20110628231137/http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/index.php
https://web.archive.org/web/20110222062758/http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/innocents.html
Photographic contributions: