Wishbone Spiders - Family: Anamidae
|
The Wishbone Spiders are a family that seems prone to growth spurts. One occurred in the period 1983 to 1985 when 40 new species were added and another one during the past 5 years which saw the addition of a further 59 species. As of December 2023 there are 143 species in 10 genera in 2 subfamilies. All of the Anamid spiders are endemic to Australia. Their name is derived from the cross-sectional shape of their tunnels which are Y-shaped although only one of the arms of the 'Y' reaches the surface. The other arm is positioned in such a way that an airpocket is formed in the event the tunnel floods. The tunnels they make may reach a depth of 40 cm.
|
The Anamidae are sometimes called 'Open-holed Trapdoor Spiders', a term that seems rather contrived for obvious reasons, but it does explain what sets them apart from other Trapdoor Spiders. Most species descriptions are based on male specimens and telling one species apart from the other can be quite difficult. Distinguishing the various genera in this family from one another is sometimes based on close examination of structural features on the legs and/or pedipalps. Females are not often described at all and of those that have been, some were found to be misidentified as a new species rather than an 'old' species already known from a male holotype specimen.
|
|
Behaviour and habits of Wishbone Spiders, other than the manner in which the tunnel is constructed, can be expected to be very similar to that of other Trapdoor Spiders. The males are more likely to wander about and the females spend the bulk of their time in their burrows. Wishbone Spiders too, are medium-sized to large, robust, shortish legs and usually some shade of brown, black or some combination thereof. They are long-lived as Mygalomorphs are, and probably more common in arid parts of the country.
|
Subfamily: Anaminae
|
Aname inimica
|
|
Aname pallida
|
|
Aname warialda
|
Subfamily: Teylinae
|
Chenistonia montana
|
|
Namea brisbanensis
|
|
Namea calcaria
|
|
Namea dicalcaria
|
|
Namea flavomaculata
|
|
Namea salanitri
|
Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Mygalomorphae (Mygalomorphs)
> Superfamily: Avicularioidea
> Family: Anamidae (Wishbone Spiders)
> Subfamily: Anaminae
> Genus: Aname
> Species: A. inimica
> Species: A. pallida ^
> Species: A. warialda
> Subfamily: Teylinae
> Genus: Chenistonia
> Species: C. montana
> Genus: Namea
> Species: N. brisbanensis
> Species: N. calcaria
> Species: N. dicalcaria
> Species: N. flavomaculata
> Species: N. salanitri
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Castalanelli, M.A., Framenau, V.W., Huey, J.A., Hillyer, M.J. and Harvey, M.S., (2020). 'New species of the open-holed trapdoor spider genus Aname (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Anamidae) from arid Western Australia.' Journal of Arachnology 48(2): 169-213. doi:10.1636/0161-8202-48.2.169
> Castalanelli, M., Huey, J., Hillyer, M. and Harvey, M.S., (2017). 'Molecular and morphological evidence for a new genus of small trapdoor spiders from arid Western Australia (Araneae : Mygalomorphae : Nemesiidae : Anaminae).' Invertebrate Systematics. 31. 492. 10.1071/IS16061.
> Raven, R.J., (1985). 'A revision of the Aname pallida species-group in northern Australia.' Australian Journal of Zoology 33(3): 377-409. doi:10.1071/ZO9850377
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/family/136/Anamidae
https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2412
Photographic contributions: