Large-clawed spiders | |
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Gradungula sorenseni, male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Gradungulidae Forster, 1955 |
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,[1]), and Macrogradungula are the only cribellate genera of the family.