Gradungulidae, also known as large-clawed spiders, is a

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

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 The Mygalomorphae, or mygalomorphs, are an infraorder of spiders, and comprise one of three major groups of living spiders with over 3000 species, found on all continents except Antarctica. Many members are known as trapdoor spiders due to the ...

. 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 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 o ...

genera of the family.

Species

'' Gradungula'' Forster, 1955 * ''

Gradungula sorenseni ''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", ...

'' Forster, 1955 —

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

'' Kaiya'' Gray, 1987 * '' Kaiya bemboka'' Gray, 1987 —

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

* '' Kaiya brindabella'' (Moran, 1985) —

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. I ...

* '' Kaiya parnabyi'' Gray, 1987 —

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

* ''

Kaiya terama ''Kaiya'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick Norman Ira Platnick (December 30, 1951 – April 8, 2020) was an American biological systematist and arachnologis ...

'' Gray, 1987 (

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

) — New South Wales ''

Macrogradungula ''Macrogradungula'' is a monotypic genus of Australian large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Macrogradungula moonya''. It was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987, and has only ...

'' Gray, 1987 * ''

Macrogradungula moonya ''Macrogradungula'' is a monotypic genus of Australian large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Macrogradungula moonya''. It was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987, and has only ...

'' Gray, 1987 —

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

'' Pianoa'' Forster, 1987 * ''

Pianoa isolata ''Pianoa'' is a monotypic genus of large-clawed spiders endemic to New Zealand. It contains a single species, ''Pianoa isolata,'' known commonly as the piano flat spider. It was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Mi ...

'' Forster, 1987 — New Zealand ''

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 La ...

'' Forster & Gray, 1979 * '' Progradungula carraiensis'' Forster & Gray, 1979 (

) — New South Wales * '' Progradungula otwayensis'' Milledge, 1997 — Victoria ''

Spelungula ''Spelungula'' is a monotypic genus of South Pacific large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Spelungula cavernicola'', or the Nelson cave spider. It was first described by Ray Forster, Norman I. Platnick, & Michael R. Gray in 1987, ...

'' Forster, 1987 * ''

Spelungula cavernicola ''Spelungula'' is a monotypic genus of South Pacific large-clawed spiders containing the single species, ''Spelungula cavernicola'', or the Nelson cave spider. It was first described by Ray Forster, Norman I. Platnick, & Michael R. Gray in 1987, ...

'' Forster, 1987 — New Zealand ''

Tarlina ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick Norman Ira Platnick (December 30, 1951 – April 8, 2020) was an American biological systematist and arachnologi ...

'' Gray, 1987 * ''

Tarlina daviesae ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick Norman Ira Platnick (December 30, 1951 – April 8, 2020) was an American biological systematist and arachnologi ...

'' Gray, 1987 — Queensland * ''

Tarlina milledgei ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987. Species it contains six species: *''Tarlina daviesae'' Gray, 1987 – Australia (Queens ...

'' Gray, 1987 — New South Wales * ''

Tarlina noorundi ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987. Species it contains six species: *''Tarlina daviesae ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Austr ...

'' Gray, 1987 (

) — New South Wales * ''

Tarlina simipes ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987. Species it contains six species: *''Tarlina daviesae'' Gray, 1987 – Australia (Queens ...

'' Gray, 1987 — Queensland * ''

Tarlina smithersi ''Tarlina'' is a genus of Australian large-clawed spiders that was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987. Species it contains six species: *''Tarlina daviesae'' Gray, 1987 – Australia (Queens ...

'' Gray, 1987 — New South Wales * '' Tarlina woodwardi'' (Forster, 1955) — Queensland

References

* Forster, R. R., Platnick, N. I. and Gray, M. R. (1987): A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae). ''Bulletin of the AMNH'' 185(1): 1-11
Abstract

PDF (50Mb)

External links

Spiders of Australia Spiders of New Zealand Araneomorphae families Taxa named by Raymond Robert Forster {{Araneomorphae-stub