Gradungulidae

{{short description|Family of spiders}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Large-clawed spiders

| image = Gradungula sorenseni.jpg

| image_caption = Gradungula sorenseni, male

| taxon = Gradungulidae

| authority = Forster, 1955

| range_map = Distribution.gradungulidae.1.png

| diversity = 7 genera, 16 species

}}

Gradungulidae, also known as large-clawed spiders, is a spider family endemic to Australia and New Zealand. They are medium to large-sized haplogyne spiders with three claws and two pairs of book-lungs similar to Mygalomorphae. Some species build extensive webs with an upper retreat tangle and connecting threads to scaffolding. This supports the ladder-like catching platform that is glued to the ground. Hickmania, Progradungula (a large spider with long legs like Hickmania,{{cite journal| last1=Forster| first1=R. R.| last2=Gray| first2=M. R.| year=1979| title=Progradungula, a new cribellate genus of the spider family Gradungulidae (Araneae)| journal=Australian Journal of Zoology| volume=27| issue=6| pages=1051–1071| doi=10.1071/ZO9791051| url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/ZO9791051.htm| url-access=subscription}}), and Macrogradungula are the only cribellate genera of the family.

Species

Gradungula Gertsch, 1958

Hickmania Forster, 1955

Kaiya Gray, 1987

Macrogradungula Gray, 1987

Pianoa Forster, 1987

Progradungula Forster & Gray, 1979

Spelungula Forster, 1987

Tarlina Gray, 1987

References

{{reflist}}

  • Forster, R. R., Platnick, N. I. and Gray, M. R. (1987): A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae). Bulletin of the AMNH 185(1): 1-116 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/969 Abstract] - [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/969/1/B185a01.pdf PDF (50Mb)]