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Progradungula
''Progradungula'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster & Michael R. Gray in 1979. it contains only two species: '' P. carraiensis'' and '' P. otwayensis''. The name is derived from Latin ''pro'' ("before"), and the genus name ''Gradungula'', referring to the ancient ancestry of the genus. It is the first discovered web-building cribellate spider in a "primitive" araneomorph The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their cl ... spider family and helped establish the idea that all araneomorph spiders evolved from cribellate ancestors. These spiders have an uncommon web-making technique and prey-capturing behavior. A small (approximately 25 by 6 mm), tilting, ladder-like platform of cribellate capturing silk is supported by a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Progradungula Otwayensis
''Progradungula otwayensis'', commonly known as the odd-clawed spider, is a species of cribellate spider endemic to the Great Otway National Park of Victoria, Australia. It is one of only two species in the gradungulid genus ''Progradungula''. Odd-clawed spiders are medium-sized to large spiders, with an approximate body length of and a leg span of . They are lightly pigmented, from yellowish brown to light mauvish gray, with three chevron markings on the rear upper part of their abdomen. Like other gradungulids, their legs are tipped with three claws. These claws are particularly well-developed on the first and second leg pairs and are used for latching unto prey. They are ambush predators, building characteristic ladder-shaped snares close to the ground. They stand head-down on these webs waiting for prey which they then scoop up into these webs to trap them. Taxonomy Odd-clawed spiders were first described by the Australian arachnologist Graham A. Milledge in 1997. They ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gradungulidae
Gradungulidae, also known as large-clawed spiders, is a spider family endemic to Australia and New Zealand. They are medium to large-sized haplogyne spiders with three claws and two pairs of book-lungs similar to Mygalomorphae. Some species build extensive webs with an upper retreat tangle and connecting threads to scaffolding. This supports the ladder-like catching platform that is glued to the ground. ''Progradungula'', a large spider with long legs like '' Hickmania'', and ''Macrogradungula'' are the only cribellate genera of the family. Species '' Gradungula'' Forster, 1955 * ''Gradungula sorenseni'' Forster, 1955 — New Zealand '' Kaiya'' Gray, 1987 * '' Kaiya bemboka'' Gray, 1987 — New South Wales * '' Kaiya brindabella'' (Moran, 1985) — Australian Capital Territory * '' Kaiya parnabyi'' Gray, 1987 — Victoria * ''Kaiya terama'' Gray, 1987 (type species) — New South Wales ''Macrogradungula'' Gray, 1987 * ''Macrogradungula moonya'' Gray, 1987 — Queensland '' Pian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Progradungula Carraiensis
''Progradungula carraiensis'', or the Carrai cave spider, is a cribellate spider found only in the moist forests and limestone caves of the Carrai Plateau in northern New South Wales. It is one of only two species in the gradungulid genus Progradungula. These spiders are 8 to 12 mm long, with long and slender legs. They specialize in eating insects that feed on bat guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. ... in the Carrai Plateau caves. To catch prey, they build a special web with an upper network of threads attached to the rock walls. This supports a small (25 x 6 mm) platform made of cribellate silk. The spider sits head down on the platform and extends its front legs until the enlarged tarsal claws on their front legs are just above the ground. With the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cribellate
Cribellum literally means "little sieve", and in biology the term generally applies to anatomical structures in the form of tiny perforated plates. In certain groups of diatoms it refers to microscopically punctured regions of the frustule, or outer layer. In certain groups of spider species, so-called cribellate spiders, the cribellum is a silk spinning organ. Unlike the usual spinnerets of spiders, the cribellum consists of one or more plates covered in thousands of tiny spigots, tiny holes that hardly project from the surface, in contrast to the elongated spigots that project from spinnerets. These minute spigots produce extremely fine fibers, merely tens of nanometres thick, which are combed out by the spider's calamistrum, producing silk with a woolly texture. The fibers are so small in diameter that they are strongly subject to Van der Waals forces. In addition, the fibres have a surface that absorbs waxes from the epicuticle of insect prey on contact. This creates a pow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raymond Robert Forster
Raymond Robert Forster (19 June 1922 – 1 July 2000) was a New Zealand arachnologist and museum director. He was a Fellow of the Entomological Society of New Zealand. Biography Forster was born in Hastings, New Zealand in 1922, and was educated at Victoria University College, gaining BSc, MSc(Hons) and DSc degrees. Forster was an entomologist at the National Museum in Wellington from 1940 to 1947, with an interruption for military service during World War II. Between 1942 and 1945 he served first in the army and then as a naval radar mechanic.Ray Forster obituary . International Society of Arachnology. Retrieved 14 February 2013. He was appointed zoologist and assistant director at Canterbury Mus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family (taxonomy), family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It is a Megadiverse countries, megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with Deserts of Australia, deserts in the centre, tropical Forests of Australia, rainforests in the north-east, and List of mountains in Australia, mountain ranges in the south-east. The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately Early human migrations#Nearby Oceania, 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period, last i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gradungula
''Gradungula'' is a monotypic genus of South Pacific large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Gradungula sorenseni''. It is only found in New Zealand. __TOC__ Etymology The genus name is derived from Latin ' "step" and ' "claw", referring to the enlarged front leg claws of this species. These claws also occur in other species of the family Gradungulidae. The species name "''sorenseni''" is named after Jack Sorensen, the discoverer of the species. Taxonomy ''Gradungula sorenseni'' was first described by Raymond Robert Forster in 1955. Distribution ''Gradungula sorenseni'' is distributed in forests throughout the western South Island and throughout Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar .... Forster, R. R., Platnick, N. I. & Gray, M. R. ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Araneomorphae
The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their close kin), where they point straight down. Araneomorphs comprise the vast majority of living spiders. Distinguishing characteristics Most spider species are Araneomorphae, which have fangs that face towards each other, increasing the orientations they can employ during prey capture. They have fewer book lungs (when present), and the females typically live one year. The Mygalomorphae have fangs that face towards the ground, and which are parallel to the long axis of the spider's body, thus they have only one orientation they can employ during prey capture. They have four pairs of book lungs, and the females often live many years. Image:Atrax robustus.jpg, This ''Atrax robustus'' shows the orientation of Myglamorphae fangs. Image:Che ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Araneomorphae Genera
The Araneomorphae (also called the Labidognatha) are an infraorder of spiders. They are distinguishable by chelicerae (fangs) that point diagonally forward and cross in a pinching action, in contrast to the Mygalomorphae (tarantulas and their close kin), where they point straight down. Araneomorphs comprise the vast majority of living spiders. Distinguishing characteristics Most spider species are Araneomorphae, which have fangs that face towards each other, increasing the orientations they can employ during prey capture. They have fewer book lungs (when present), and the females typically live one year. The Mygalomorphae have fangs that face towards the ground, and which are parallel to the long axis of the spider's body, thus they have only one orientation they can employ during prey capture. They have four pairs of book lungs, and the females often live many years. Image:Atrax robustus.jpg, This ''Atrax robustus'' shows the orientation of Myglamorphae fangs. Image:Che ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiders Of Australia
Australia has a number of highly venomous spiders, including the Sydney funnel-web spider, its relatives in the family Hexathelidae, and the redback spider, whose bites can be extremely painful and have historically been linked with deaths in medical records. Most Australian spiders do not have venom that is considered to be dangerously toxic. No deaths caused by spider bites in Australia have been substantiated by a coronial inquest since 1979. There are sensationalised news reports regarding Australian spiders that fail to cite evidence. ''A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia'' published by CSIRO Publishing in 2017 featuring around 836 species illustrated with photographs of live animals, around 381 genera and 78 families, introduced significant updates to taxonomy from Ramirez, Wheeler and Dmitrov Estimates put the total number of Australian spider species at about 10,000. Only around 3,600 have been described. Little information is known about many undiscovered species. New s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
