Family BARYCHELIDAE Simon, 1892

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Introduction

The Barychelidae resemble their much larger and better known 'cousins', the Whistling spiders or Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) but have very short spinnerets. Most also tend to be smaller and hence are more capable of climbing smooth vertical surfaces. All build burrows in the ground or trees and one, Idioctis yerlata Churchill & Raven, 1992, from north Queensland builds in mangroves where the burrow is covered at half tide. Few bites have been recorded from these; bites of most concern have been attributed to the large silverbacked brushfooted genus, Idiommata. Idiommata shares with the Theraphosidae the presence of a stridulatory (sound-making) lyra in males and females although no sound has been recorded for them. The Barychelidae are probably their most diverse in Australia and the south-west Pacific Islands, especially New Caledonia.

Diagnosis

Mygalomorphs with only 2 claws on all legs, claw 3 always absent; well-developed claw tufts on legs; maximally 4 spinnerets; apical segment of posterior lateral spinnerets short, domed; scopula present on metatarsi and tarsi I, II; anterior lobe of maxillae small; rastellum present or absent; clavate trichobothria confined to basal tarsi, filiform trichobothria on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi; all eyes on tubercle; fovea transverse; caput gently arched. Leg I of males, plesiomorphically, with distal ventral spur and upper megaspine and spur.

Diagnosis References

Raven, R.J. 1985. The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and Systematics. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 182(1): 1-180 [Date published December 5, 1985] [111]

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