Family HEXATHELIDAE Simon, 1892

Museums

Regional Maps

• Hexathelidae Simon, E. 1892. Histoire Naturelle des Araignées. Paris : Roret Vol. 1 2, pp. i-vii, 1-1084. [188].

Introduction

The Hexathelidae includes the only Australian mygalomorphs that retain six spinnerets (Hexathelinae) and the Tasmanian relict, Plesiothele fentoni, which has the most plesiomorphic spinneret condition known in extant mygalomorphs. The Queensland species, Bymainiella terraereginae, has the most plesiomorphic excretory system of any known chelicerate with three pairs of coxal gland outlets on coxae I, II, IV.

This family previously included the subfamily Atracinae which was recently raised to family status following the work of Hedin et al (2018).

Diagnosis

Differ from Mecicobothriidae in the absence of dorsal abdominal sclerites, the numerous labial and maxillary cuspules, and/or the transverse or pitlike fovea, and from Dipluridae in the arched caput and glabrous carapace.
Mygalomorph spiders with numerous cuspules usually present on labium and maxillae. Serrula present. Three claws; one row of teeth on paired claws; third claw short, curved with few fine teeth. Scopulae absent in males and females. Dorsal abdominal sclerite and third haematodocha of male palp absent. Cymbium similarly bilobed. Apical segment of the posterior lateral spinnerets digitiform or longer. Carapace glabrous with broad pit-like or transverse fovea. Caput arched. Few, if any spines, on anterior tarsi. Rastellum absent.

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] [70]

General References

Hedin, M., Derkarabetian, S., Ramírez, M.J., Vink, C & Bond, J.E. 2018. Phylogenomic reclassification of the world’s most venomous spiders (Mygalomorphae, Atracinae), with implications for venom evolution. Scientific Reports 8(1636): 1-7 [4]

History of changes