Macrothele calpeiana
Macrothele calpeiana, commonly known as the Gibraltar funnel-web spider or Spanish funnel-web spider, is one of the largest and most fierce-looking spiders in Europe.
| Macrothele calpeiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Macrothelidae |
| Genus: | Macrothele |
| Species: | M. calpeiana |
| Binomial name | |
| Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) | |
The satin black colour and long flexible spinnerets are unmistakable. The carapace is low and flat and the eyes are in a compact group. The female resembles the male but has a larger abdomen. The male can grow to nearly 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long with the female going over that. Like all funnel-web spiders, this spider's web is funnel-shaped with trip-threads around the entrance, built among stones and roots. Its geographical range includes Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal and north-west Africa. The venom is not deadly to humans.
It is the type species of its genus.
References
- JIMÉNEZ-VALVERDE, A. & LOBO, J. M. (2006) Distribution determinants of endangered Iberian spider Macrothele calpeiana (Araneae, Hexathelidae). Environmental Entomology, 35(6): 1491-1499.
- JIMÉNEZ-VALVERDE, A. & LOBO, J. M. (2007) Potential distribution of the endangered spider Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) (Araneae, Hexathelidae) and the impact of climate warming. Acta Zoologica Sinica, 53: 865-876.
- JIMÉNEZ-VALVERDE, A. (2009) Absence points of Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) (Araneae, Hexathelidae) in Morocco (North Africa). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 44: 559-561.
- JIMÉNEZ-VALVERDE, A., GARCÍA-DÍEZ, T. & BOGAERTS, S. (2007) First records of the endangered spider Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) (Hexathelidae) in Portugal. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 41: 445-446.
External links
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