Species Gaius villosus Rainbow, 1914
- Gaius villosus Rainbow, W.J. 1914. Studies in Australian Araneidae. No. 6. The Terretelariae. Records of the Australian Museum 10: 187-270 [15 Aug. 1914] [195, figs. 6–8] [WAM 40–203
adult, not a part of the type series, was designated allotype by Main (1957); status revised by Rix et al. (2017)]. Type data:
Holotype AM K34393, KS6259 ♀ adult, Minnivale, WA [31°08'S 117°11'E].
Paratype(s) WAM T261 ♀ adult, Minnivale, WA [31°08'S 117°11'E].Secondary source:
Main, B.Y. 1957. Biology of aganippine trapdoor spiders (Mygalomorphae: Ctenizidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 5: 402-473 [Dec. 1957]; Rix, M.G., Raven, R.J., Main, B.Y., Harrison, S., Austin, A.D., Cooper, S.J.B. & Harvey, M.S. 2017. The Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders of the family Idiopidae (Mygalomorphae : Arbanitinae): a relimitation and revision at the generic level. Invertebrate Systematics 31: 566–634 [618].
Generic Combinations
- Anidiops villosus (Rainbow, 1914).
- Gaius villosus (Rainbow, 1914).
Distribution
States
Western Australia
IBRA
WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Carnarvon (CAR), Coolgardie (COO), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Esperance Plains (ESP), Gascoyne (GAS), Gibson Desert (GD), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), Mallee (MAL), Murchison (MUR), Nullarbor (NUL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)
Original AFD Distribution Data
Australian Region
- Australia
- Western Australia: SW coastal, W plateau
Ecological Descriptors
Fossorial, open scrub, predator, terrestrial.
Extra Ecological Information
Burrows in litter in mulga and acacia groves of woodlands.
General References
Main, B.Y. 1957. Biology of aganippine trapdoor spiders (Mygalomorphae: Ctenizidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 5: 402-473 [Dec. 1957] (biology, evolution, taxonomy)
Main, B.Y. 1978. Biology of the arid adapted Australian trapdoor spider Anidiops villosus (Rainbow). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 4: 161-175 (biology, population structure)
Main, B.Y. 1979. An unusual method of soil disposal during burrow excavation by the trapdoor spider Anidiops villosus (Rainbow). Western Australian Naturalist 14: 115-117 (burrowing behaviour)
Rix, M.G., Raven, R.J., Main, B.Y., Harrison, S., Austin, A.D., Cooper, S.J.B. & Harvey, M.S. 2017. The Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders of the family Idiopidae (Mygalomorphae : Arbanitinae): a relimitation and revision at the generic level. Invertebrate Systematics 31: 566–634 [618]
Rix, M.G., Raven, R.J. & Harvey, M.S. 2018. Systematics of the giant spiny trapdoor spiders of the genus Gaius Rainbow (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae: Aganippini): documenting an iconic lineage of the Western Australian inland arid zone. Journal of Arachnology 46(3): 438-472 [444, Figs. 1–3, 6–8, 10, 11, 14–36]
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Feb-2020 | IDIOPIDAE Simon, 1889 | 20-Jan-2020 | MODIFIED | Lyn Randall |
| 15-Oct-2020 | MYGALOMORPHAE Pocock, 1892 | 29-Mar-2018 | MODIFIED | |
| 15-Oct-2020 | 29-Jun-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 15-Oct-2020 | 11-May-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |