Aname
Aname mainae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Anamidae
Genus: Aname
L. Koch, 1873
Species

See text.

Aname is a genus of mygalomorph spiders. It is endemic to Australia. The spiders, as well as some in closely related genera, are also known as wishbone spiders.

Diagnosis

Aname species may be distinguished from other genera in the family by the presence of a prominent asetose ventral depression on the male pedipalpal tibia.[1]

Distribution and habitat

While Aname prefers dry open country and occurs throughout much of Australia (though mostly inland), Chenistonia occurs mostly in South and Western Australia, and Namea is only known along the east coast in rainforests.

The lesser wishbone spider (Aname distincta) occurs through the lowland open forests of south-east Queensland's Moreton Valley as far north as Eidsvold and Gayndah, and the greater wishbone spider (Aname pallida) from Gladstone along dry coastal corridors to Cairns. One species (Aname tasmanica) is found only in Tasmania.

Fangs of Aname atra

Behaviour

Spiders in this genus, together with the very similar genera Chenistonia and Namea, are called "wishbone spiders", for the shape of their open silk-lined burrow, which has the shape of the letter "Y", with one arm shorter than the other. Only the longer arm reaches the surface. The shorter arm is believed to allow the spider to survive flooding by trapping an air bubble.

Interactions with humans

Bites from Aname are rare, but females of Aname inimica (which are also considered "unfriendly" by Aboriginal Australians) are reported to have bitten several people, resulting in local pain, redness and soreness.

Species

As of July 2022, the World Spider Catalog accepts 48 species:

References

  1. ↑ Harvey, MS; Gruber, K; Hillyer, MJ; Huey, JA (2020). "Five new species of the open-holed trapdoor spider genus Aname (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Anamidae) from Western Australia, with a revised generic placement for Aname armigera". Records of the Western Australian Museum. 35: 10–38. doi:10.1636/0161-8202-48.2.169.


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