Family GRADUNGULIDAE Forster, 1955

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Introduction

Tarlina is a vagrant found in forest litter and under logs where it momentarily seems like a retiring lycosid. Progradungula, the cribellate genus, spins an extensive web consisting of an upper retreat tangle with conecting threads to scaffolding that supports the ladder-like catching platform which in turn is guyed to the ground. Progradungula is a large spider with very long legs; it resembles Hickmania (Austrchilidae) and the massive and magnificent Macrogradungula, being found in dark spaces in both high altitude forest and coastal cave-like locations in northern Queensland.

Diagnosis

Gradungulids are are medium to large spiders that are easily distinguished from all other spiders by the unusual morphology of the superior claws on legs I & II which are markedly unequal in size. They are found only in Australia and New Zealand. Medium to large, 3-clawed, haplogyne spiders with two pairs of book-lungs (like mygalomorphs). Cribellum most often absent. Superior claws of legs I and II markedly dissimilar; proclaw long and strongly developed, retroclaw normal. Eyes in two rows. AME smallest. One trichobothrium on metatarsi, none on tarsi.

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