Legs with inarticulate metatarsus. Chelicerae always with 3 distinct teeth at anterior rim. Legs elongate, male pedipalp with complicated median apophysis, median apophysis sometimes coiled, or with a scopula-like organ at apex. Epigyne with 1–3 pairs of receptacula seminis, which may be glandular outside, or with a separate glandular sac.
Long-spinneret Bark Spiders
Hersiliidae
(after Framenau et al. 2014): In Australia, the Long-spinneret Bark Spiders (family Hersiliidae) are arboricolous and predominantly found on eucalypt trees; however, world-wide this family also includes free-hunting rock-dwellers and ground-hunting web-builders. Based on the extremely elongated posterior lateral spinnerets, Long-spinneret Bark Spiders cannot be confused with any other spider family in Australia; however, finding these extremely cryptic species can be a challenge even for the most experienced naturalist.
Currently, there are two genera known from Australia. Hersilia occurs only in the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, whereas Tamopsis is common and widely distributed throughout the country wherever host trees can be found; however, Long-spinneret Bark Spiders are not known from Tasmania. Genus level identification is difficult in the field as the differentiating character refers to the articulation of the metatarsi and genital morphology. A good character to identify species groups within Tamopsis is the relative height of the eye area, which may be flat or strongly raised to a conspicuous eye mound. Species identification requires genital examination, in particular as colouration is extremely variable within species and changes in relation to the surface they inhabit.
Publications
Baehr BC (1988): Zur Systematik, Phylogenie und Zoogeographie der Tamopsis arnhemensis - circumvidens - tropica Gruppe (Araneae, Hersiliidae) aus Australien. In: Haupt, J. (ed.) XI Europäisches Arachnologisches Colloquium. Technische Universität Berlin Dokumentation Kongresse und Tagungen. 38: 238 - 249
Baehr BC (1998): The genus Hersilia: phylogeny and distribution in Australia and New Guinea (Arachnida, Araneae, Hersiliidae). In: Seldon, P. A. (ed.) Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997. Edinburgh. 61 - 65
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1989): Three new species of genus Tamopsis Baehr & Baehr from Western Australia (Arachnida, Araneae, Hersiliidae). Second supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 14: 309 - 320
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1993): New species and new records of Hersiliidae from Australia, with an updated key to all Australian species (Arachnida: Araneae: Hersiliidae): Fourth supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 16: 347 - 391
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1992): New species and new records of genus Tamopsis Baehr & Baehr, (Arachnida, Araneae, Hersiliidae). Third supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae.. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 16: 61 - 77
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1988): On Australian Hersiliidae from the South Australian Museum (Arachnida: Araneae). Supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae. Records of the South Australian Museum. 22: 13 - 20
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1998): New species and new records of Hersiliidae from Australia (Arachnida: Araneae: Hersiliidae). Sixth supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 19: 13 - 38
Baehr BC, Baehr M (1995): New species and new records of Hersiliidae from Australia (Arachnida, Araneae, Hersiliidae). Fifth supplement to the revision of the Australian Hersiliidae. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement. 52: 107 - 118
Baehr M, Baehr BC (1993): The Hersiliidae of the Oriental Region including New Guinea. Taxonomy, phylogeny, zoogeography (Arachnida, Araneae). Spixiana, Supplement. 19: 1 - 95
Framenau VW, Baehr BC, Zborowski P (2014): A guide to the spiders of Australia. New Holland Publishers, 1 - 448
Harry Butler Institute
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N27689-1
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♂
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10 January 2022
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Western Australia
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Barrow Island, WA Oil Base
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window trap
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COI
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CGTATGAATAACTTGAGTTTTTGGCTTTTACCTCCTTCTTTGTTTTTATTGTTTATTTCTTCTATAGTAGAAGTTGGGGTGGGGGCTGGTTGAACAGTTTATCCTCCTTTGGCTGGAACTACAGGGCATGCTGGTAGATCAGTAGATTTTGCTATTTTTTCTTTACATTTAGCTGGTGCTTCTTCTATTATAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTTCTACTATTTTTAATATACGGTCGGCAGGTAT-AAGAATAGAGAGGGTTCCATTATTTGTGTGGTCAGTTTTAATTACTGCTGTGTTATTATTATTATCTTTACCTGTGTTAGCGGGTGCTATTACTATATTATTAATGGATCGAAATTTTAATACTTCATTTTTTGATCCTGCAGGAGGGGGGGATCCTGTTTTATTTCAACATTTGTTTTGATTTTTTGGTCAC
Harry Butler Institute
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N16754-3
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♂
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08 January 2020
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Western Australia
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Barrow Island
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night hand collection
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COI
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CGTATGAATAACTTAAGTTTTTGGCTTTTGCCTCCTTCTTTATTTTTGTTATTTATTTCTTCTATAGCGGAAGTGGGGGTAGGGGCTGGATGAACGGTTTATCCCCCTTTAGCTGGGACTGTAGGTCATGCTGGGAGTTCTGTGGATTTTGCTATTTTTTCTTTACATTTGGCTGGGGCTTCTTCTATTATAGGTGCTATTAATTTTATTTCTACTATTTTGAATATGCGTTCGACTGGGAT-AACTATGGAGAAGGTTCCGTTATTTGTGTGATCTGTTCTTATTACAGCTGTTTTGTTATTGTTATCTTTACCTGTTTTAGCAGGGGCTATTACAATGTTGTTAACTGATCGAAATTTTAATACGTCTTTTTTTGACCCCGCTGGGGGAGGGGACCCAGTGCTGTTTCAGCATTTATTTTGATTTTTTGGTCAC