Atrax sutherlandi

Atrax sutherlandi is a species of Australian funnel-web spider found in forests on the far southern coast of New South Wales and in eastern Victoria. It was named after Struan Sutherland, whose work resulted in a successful funnel-web spider antivenom.[2]

Atrax sutherlandi
Male and female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Atracidae
Genus: Atrax
Species:
A. sutherlandi
Binomial name
Atrax sutherlandi
Gray, 2010[1]

Normally, A. sutherlandi has a glossy black back and chelicerae ("fangs"), as well as a deep-brown or plum-coloured underbelly. An adult grows to a length of 2 inches (5 cm). A report in 2015 described an unusual individual with a blood-red belly and chelicerae.[3] Unlike its close relative the Sydney funnel web that lives in urban areas, A. sutherlandi commonly resides in remote areas, thus posing little danger to the public.[4]

Due to the niche microhabitat of the Atrax sutherlandi, species divergence can easily occur when there is minor change in the environment. [5]

References
  1. "Taxon details Atrax sutherlandi Gray, 2010", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 11 March 2016
  2. Gray, Michael R. (24 November 2010). "A revision of the Australian funnel-web spiders (Hexathelidae: Atracinae)" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 62 (3): 285–392. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1556. ISSN 0067-1975.
  3. "Mysterious Spider With Blood-Red Fangs Found in Australia". National Geographic. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  4. Beavis, Amber (December 2011). "Microhabitat preferences drive phylogeographic disparities in two Australian funnel web spiders". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 104 (4): 805–819. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01753.x – via Web of Science.
  5. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society., 104(4), 805–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01753.x


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