''Uliodon'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of spiders
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and possibly
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. They are commonly referred to as vagrant spiders. Vagrant spiders vary in colour from dark brown to almost black, they typically have a body length of 20mm and a 50mm leg span. When alive, the interior of the male's
pedipalp
Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to ...
are brightly coloured (usually orange).
They are nocturnal hunters, feeding on ground-dwelling invertebrates. During the day they are found under logs and rocks. They can be found in a variety of habitats: native forest and plantations, or more open habitat, but also
scree
Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits.
The term ''scree'' is ap ...
slopes and occasionally in houses.
Reproduction
After mating, the female prepares a chamber lined with silk beneath a log or stone on the forest floor, or inside a rotten log, where they construct a rather large and round
egg sac
Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
that they guard until the young hatch and disperse. The genus is apparently widespread throughout the country.
Taxonomy
, three or possibly four species of ''Uliodon'' are accepted. However, the three known species are not recognisable based on published descriptions.
* ''
Uliodon albopunctatus''
(L. Koch, 1873) – New Zealand
* ''
Uliodon cervinus''
(L. Koch, 1873) – New Zealand
* ''
Uliodon frenatus''
(L. Koch, 1873) – New Zealand
The males of ''
Uliodon albopunctatus'' and ''
Uliodon cervinus'' are undescribed.
In 2003, Robert Raven and Kylie Stumkat considered that the genus was endemic to New Zealand, transferring all the Australian species they reviewed to other genera, and transferred ''Uliodon'' from the family Miturgidae to the Zoropsidae.
[ A further species, found in Australia and not reviewed by Raven and Stumkat, is listed by the ]World Spider Catalog
The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature.
The WSC began as a series of ...
:[
* ''Uliodon australiensis'' (L. Koch, 1873) – '' Mituliodon tarantulinus'' (L. Koch, 1873)
* ''Uliodon maritimus'' (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883) – '' Amaurobioides maritima'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1883
* ''Uliodon marmoreus'' (Hogg, 1896) – '' Mitzoruga marmorea'' (Hogg, 1896)
* ''Uliodon oswaldi'' (Lenz, 1891) – '']Zorodictyna oswaldi
''Zorodictyna'' is a genus of spiders in the family Udubidae native to Madagascar. It has been described as an intermediate genus between Zoropsidae and Dictynidae, though it is now placed in Udubidae. This genus was originally placed in the fam ...
'' (Lenz, 1891)
* ''Uliodon tarantulinus'' (L. Koch, 1873) – '' Mituliodon tarantulinus'' (L. Koch, 1873)
* ''Uliodon torvus'' (L. Koch, 1873) – '' Mituliodon tarantulinus'' (L. Koch, 1873)
Toxicology
Not considered dangerous. However, when mishandled, these spiders tend to inflict a painful bite given their large size. The bites are usually without further consequences, but Watt (1971)
References
External links
* ''Uliodon'' discussed on RNZ ''Critter of the Week
''Critter of the Week'' is a weekly RNZ National programme about endangered and neglected native plants and animals of New Zealand.
Beginning in 2015, ''Critter of the Week'' is an approximately 15-minute discussion between Nicola Toki (origi ...
''
6 October 2023
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1647737
Zoropsidae
Spiders of New Zealand
Spiders of Australia
Araneomorphae genera