Spelungula

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Spelungula
P1150023-001.jpg
Nelson cave spider, Oparara basin, Karamea, New Zealand
Status NZTCS RR.svg
Range Restricted (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Gradungulidae
Genus: Spelungula
Forster, 1987 [1]
Species:
S. cavernicola
Binomial name
Spelungula cavernicola
Forster, 1987

Spelungula is a monotypic genus of South Pacific large-clawed spiders containing the single species, Spelungula cavernicola, or the Nelson cave spider. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1987 by Ray Forster from specimens collected in caves around Nelson. [3] The holotype is stored at Te Papa Museum under registration number AS.000014. [4]

Etymology

The genus name is derived from "spelunca", which is latin for cave and is feminine in gender. The species name "cavernicola" refers to the species restriction to caves. [3]

Description

It is New Zealand's largest known spider, with a legspan of 13 to 15 centimetres (5.1 to 5.9 in) and a body length of 2.4 centimetres (0.94 in), and its main prey is cave weta. [5] [6]

Distribution/habitat

This species is a only known from caves in northwestern Nelson, New Zealand. [3]

Conservation status

It is one of the few spider species afforded legal protection under the New Zealand Wildlife Act. [7] [8] It is classed as "Range Restricted" and stable in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. [9]

In May 2022, the Crazy Paving Cave in Kahurangi National Park, where the spiders are known to breed, was closed for a year in an attempt to help the population to recover. [10]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2019). "Gen. Spelungula Forster, 1987". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  2. ↑ "NMBE - World Spider Catalog". wsc.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Forster, R. R.; Platnick, N. I.; Gray, M. R. (1987). "A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 185: 1–116.
  4. ↑ "Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  5. ↑ McLachlan, Andrew. "Nelson cave spider". www.teara.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
  6. ↑ "Topic: Nelson cave spider | Collections Online – Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  7. ↑ Faulls, D. (1991). "Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude". New Zealand Geographic (10): 68–96.
  8. ↑ Wildlife Act – Schedule 7 Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates declared to be animals
  9. ↑ Molloy, Janice; et al. (2002). "Classifying species according to threat of extinction. A system for New Zealand" (PDF). Department of Conservation (New Zealand) . Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  10. ↑ "Nelson cave to shut for a year to improve rare spider's population". RNZ. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
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