Macrobunus

Macrobunus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Macrobunidae
Genus:	Macrobunus Tullgren, 1901 [1]
Type species
Macrobunus backhauseni (Simon, 1896)
Diversity
5 species

Macrobunus is a genus of spiders in the family Amaurobiidae, known as hackled mesh-web weavers. ^[2] It was first described by Albert Tullgren in 1901. ^[1] The genus is represented by five species, with only one species known from South Africa and the rest recorded from South America. ^[3]

Description

See also: Glossary of spider terms

Macrobunus spiders are small, with a total body size of 3-5 mm. They are recognized by their undivided cribellum. The carapace is oval with a longitudinal fovea. The anterior median eyes are larger than the posterior lateral eyes, and the anterior eye row is strongly recurved. The median ocular triangle is narrower anteriorly. The opisthosoma is long and oval. ^[3]

Males have a distinctive spur on the first femora. Females possess an epigyne with a central septum. ^[3]

Ecology and behavior

Little is known about the behavior of Macrobunus spiders. They are ground dwellers that are typically sampled from pitfall traps. ^[3]

Species

As of September 2025 ^[update] , this genus includes four species: ^[2]

• Bymainiella lugubris Raven, 1978 – Australia (New South Wales)
• Bymainiella monteithi Raven, 1978 – Australia (Queensland, New South Wales)
• Bymainiella polesoni Raven, 1978 – Australia (New South Wales)
• Bymainiella terraereginae (Raven, 1976) – Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) (type species)

References

1. Tullgren, A. (1901). Contribution to the knowledge of the spider fauna of the Magellan Territories.
2. "Genus Bymainiella". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 27 September 2025.
3. Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N.; Jocqué, R. (2021). "South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide: The Amaurobiidae of South Africa". Version 2: 1–26. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5981342.  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.