Archaeidae
Austrarchaea sp.
- Eriauchenius (O. P. - Cambridge, 1881)
The spider family of Archaeidae belongs to the genuine spiders, although the individual species are not easily recognizable as spiders because of their unusual shape and its specialized anatomy for laymen. They have a for a " neck " extended front body and greatly prolonged jaw claws developed, so that the only two to five millimeters little spiders are vaguely reminiscent of a praying mantis when catching prey. Her English name pelican spiders refers to this external form. Another English name is assassin spiders ( " killer spiders or Meuchelspinnen " ), for their extended jaw claws allow them to capture other dangerous spiders. When catching prey, they do not resort to nets.
This spider family comprises 25 species, most of which are native to Madagascar. Lotz found and described in 2003 Eriauchenius cornutus in South Africa, while all other Eriauchenius species were previously found only in Madagascar. Afrarchaea species live in South Africa and Madagascar, Austrarchaea species occur in Australia.
The first known representatives are in amber preserved remains from the Eocene (about 50 million years old ) in Europe (the Baltic and Bitterfeld ) of 1854. Supplemented these fossils were David Penneys amber finds in Myanmar in 2002, which included Afrarchaea grimaldii of an estimated Age 88 to 95 million years is ( Cretaceous ). These findings are considered further evidence that spiders were not significantly affected by the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. The first living individuals were not found until 1881.
1995, based in Australia and New Zealand genus Periegops Forster was lifted from the family of Archaeidae and defined as an own family Periegopidae.