Atrax sutherlandi

Atrax sutherlandi
Male and female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Atracidae
Genus: Atrax
Species:
A. sutherlandi
Binomial name
Atrax sutherlandi
Gray, 2010[1]

Atrax sutherlandi is a species of Australian funnel-web spider found in forests on the far southern coast of New South Wales and in eastern Victoria. It was named after Struan Sutherland, whose work resulted in a successful funnel-web spider antivenom.[2]

Normally, A. sutherlandi has a glossy black back and chelicerae ("fangs"), as well as a deep-brown or plum-coloured underbelly. An adult grows to a length of 2 inches (5 cm). A report in 2015 described an unusual individual with a blood-red belly and chelicerae.[3] Unlike its close relative the Sydney funnel web that lives in urban areas, A. sutherlandi commonly resides in remote areas, thus posing little danger to the public.[4]

Due to the niche microhabitat of the Atrax sutherlandi, species divergence can easily occur when there is minor change in the environment. [5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference WSC_s13132 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Gray, Michael R. (24 November 2010). "A revision of the Australian funnel-web spiders (Hexathelidae: Atracinae)" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 62 (3): 285–392. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1556. ISSN 0067-1975.
  3. ^ "Mysterious Spider With Blood-Red Fangs Found in Australia". National Geographic. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  4. ^ Beavis, Amber (December 2011). "Microhabitat preferences drive phylogeographic disparities in two Australian funnel web spiders". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 104 (4): 805–819. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01753.x – via Web of Science.
  5. ^ Biological Journal of the Linnean Society., 104(4), 805–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01753.x