Bradley's Orb-weaver Plebs bradleyi (Keyserling, 1887)
Fauna Portal species: 6726
Plebs bradleyi female, dorsal (ZMUC; Derwent River bridge between Queenstown and Lake St Clair, Tasmania)
Image: Joseph & Framenau (2012; fig. 15F)
Fauna Portal Image No. 3329Diagnosis
(after Joseph & Framenau 2012): Plebs bradleyi is unique when compared to other species in the genus because of its glossy, elongated abdomen that carries a V-shaped pattern dorsally. This unique morphology gave this species its common name, ‘enamel spider’. Plebs bradleyi is comparatively large, although small specimens overlap in size with other species. The male pedipalp bears a macroseta on its femur that is absent in all other Plebs species,except the otherwise very different P. salesi. The elongated female scape is widest in the centre, unlike any other member of the genus in which the scape is generally widest at the base.
Status
- native
Linnean Syntype(s)
Australia
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
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.
Publications
(2012): Systematic review of a new orb-weaving spider genus (Araneae: Araneidae), with special reference to the Australasian-Pacific and South-East Asian fauna. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 166: 279 - 341