Hadronyche modesta

Hadronyche modesta

Which belongs to the family of Hexathelidae spider Hadronyche modesta is often confused with Atrax robustus, because it looks similar and overlap their distribution regions. She was asked by Simon to the genus Atrax, but relocated by Gray in 1988. Their distribution is located in Victoria (Australia), especially in the area around the city of Melbourne; therefore it is called in English " Victorian funnel -web spider".

Appearance

The females of the Hadronyche modesta typically has a black, shining carapace. The abdomen is dark brown to black and is finely ribbed. The male sees the female very similar, only the legs are often additionally a polished sheen. Their form is similar to the trapdoor spider Stanwellia grisea, which is found in the same distribution area. The body is smaller and darker than in P. grisea.

Behavior

Your funnel-shaped or tubular networks it creates moist, cool places also in houses. The females stay a lifetime in this cave. In summer and autumn months, the males wander about and seek females. They are sometimes placed in homes and can cause bite accidents. The bite causes headaches and nausea, but it is not dangerous.

Also Hadronyche species use signal threads to catch their prey. This trip threads are spun near the cave entrance. The spiders wait until an insect encounters while wandering on a stumbling thread which the spider in the cave on vibrations with their legs " abhorcht ", then vorzuschnellen and to kill the prey.

Swell

• Gerhard G. Habermehl, 1994: venomous animals and their weapons. Springer -Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg.
• Rainer F. Foelix, 1992: Biology of spiders. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart.
• Norman I. Platnick, 2007. The World Spider Catalog, version 7.5. American Museum of Natural History.
• Museum Victoria, 2000: Information sheet on Hadronyche modesta (PDF file, 13 kB)
• Gray, MR, 1988: Aspects of the systematics of the Australian funnel web spiders (Araneae: Hexathelidae: Atracinae ) based upon morphological and electrophoretic data. Aust. ent Soc. misc. Publ 5: 113-125.