David's Mouse Spider Missulena davidi Greenberg, Huey, Framenau & Harms, 2021
Fauna Portal species: 6341
Diagnosis
(after Greenberg et al. 2021): Missulena davidi is a red-headed Pilbara region mouse spider and is similar to M. langlandsi, which has also been described from the Pilbara. They differ from M. langlandsi by having strong, conical rastellar spines (thin and not conical in the latter) and their size ( carapace >3.00 mm in M. davidi, <2.9 mm in M. langlandsi) .
Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the COI barcoding gene places M. davidi closest to M. manningensis and M. iugum, neither of which occur in the Pilbara.
Linnean Holotype
Australia
- Western Australia
Fauna Portal Records
The map shows all records that have been verified as part of the Fauna Portal project and may not represent the true distribution of a species. Specifically, for described species, check the link to the Atlas of Living Australia on this page for potential wider distributions. Fauna Portal Reference specimens and Linnean types are shown in red. If you identified a specimen that exceeds the distribution of an undescribed species as illustrated here, please contact the Fauna Portal team who can assist with the lodgement of the specimen in a public institution and display on the map.
Similar Species
Publications
(2021): Three new species of mouse spider (Araneae: Actinopodidae: Missulena Walckenaer, 1805) from Western Australia, including an assessment of intra specific variability in a widespread species from the arid biome. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 79: 509 - 533