Open AccessCAVERNICOLOUS SPIDERS FROM THE NULLARBOR PLAIN AND SOUTH‐WEST AUSTRALIA
Author(s) -
Gray* M. R.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1973.tb01661.x
Subject(s) - cave , habitat , biology , ecology , archaeology , geography
Three cavernicolous spiders are described from caves on the Nullarbor Plain, southern Australia: two troglobites, Janusia muiri gen. n., sp. n. (Miturgidae) and Tartarus mullamullangensis gen. n., sp. n. (Amaurobiidae, Stiphidiinae), and a troglophile, Epimecinus alkirna sp. n. (Amaurobiidae, Matachiinae). T. mullamullangensis is shown to be closely related to a troglophilic species, Epimecinus tegenarioides Simon, 1908, from moist forest habitats in south west Australia. The latter is transferred to Tartarus. The presence of T. mullamullangensis on the Nullarbor Plain suggests the occurrence of at least one phase of wetter, cooler conditions in the past than are prevailing at present.