Spelungula

Spelungula
Nelson Cave Spider, Oparara basin, Karamea, New Zealand
Scientific classification
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[1]

Spelungula is a genus of spiders in the family Gradungulidae. The genus has only one species, Spelungula cavernicola,[1] or the Nelson cave spider, which is endemic to New Zealand. It is New Zealand's largest known spider in terms of leg span (13 –15 cm)[2][3] and it has a body length of 2.4 centimetres (0.94 in).[2]

As of 1991, it is the only spider protected under the Wildlife Act.[4][5] It is classed as "Range Restricted" and stable in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[6] As the name suggests it is known only from a few caves in the Nelson and Buller region of the South Island, New Zealand. Its main prey is cave weta.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gen. Spelungula Forster, 1987", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2016-04-08
  2. 1 2 McLachlan, Andrew; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Nelson cave spider". www.teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
  3. 1 2 "Topic: Nelson cave spider | Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  4. ↑ Faulls, D. (1991). "Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude". New Zealand Geographic (10): 68–96.
  5. ↑ Wildlife Act - Schedule 7 Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates declared to be animals
  6. ↑ Molloy, Janice; Bell, B.; Clout, M.; de, Lange P.; Gibbs, G.; Given, D.; Norton, D.; Smith, N.; Stephens, T. (2002). "Classifying species according to threat of extinction. A system for New Zealand" (PDF). Department of Conservation (New Zealand). Retrieved 2008-02-29.
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