Macrogradungula is a monotypic genus of Australian large-clawed spiders containing the single species, Macrogradungula moonya. It was first described by Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick & Michael R. Gray in 1987,[2] and has only been found in Australia.[1] It is classified under the family Gradungulidae, superfamily Austrochiloidea, and suborder Araneomorphae.[1][3][4]

Macrogradungula
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Gradungulidae
Genus: Macrogradungula
Gray, 1987[1]
Species:
M. moonya
Binomial name
Macrogradungula moonya
Gray, 1987

Distribution edit

Macrogradungula moonya is currently known from three disjunct localities in northeastern Queensland, Australia. The first specimens were recovered from rainforest sink holes in Boulder Creek, Walter Hill Range.[2][5][6] Other specimens were reported from caves and cavities among boulder fields in the mountains of the Kalkajaka National Park and Mount Bartle Frere. It is unknown if these other populations may represent new species.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Gen. Macrogradungula Gray, 1987". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2019. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Forster, R. R.; Platnick, N. I.; Gray, M. R. (1987). "A review of the spider superfamilies Hypochiloidea and Austrochiloidea (Araneae, Araneomorphae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 185 (1): 1–116. hdl:2246/969. ISSN 0003-0090. Wikidata Q93875424.
  3. ^ Volker W. Framenau (15 September 2013). "Checklist of Australian Spiders Version 1.24" (PDF). Australasian Arachnological Society. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Macrogradungula moonya Gray, 1987". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  5. ^ Milledge, Graham A. (1997). "A new species of Progradungula Forster & Gray (Araneae: Gradungulidae) from Victoria". Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria. 56 (1): 65–68. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.1997.56.02.
  6. ^ Goosem, Stephen (2002). Update of Original Wet Tropics of Queensland Nomination Dossier (PDF). Wet Tropics Management Authority. p. 16.
  7. ^ Couper, Patrick J. & Conrad, J. Hoskin (2008). "Litho-refugia: the importance of rock landscapes for the long-term persistence of Australian rainforest fauna" (PDF). Australian Zoologist. 34 (4): 554–560. doi:10.7882/az.2008.032.