Liphistius batuensis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Classis: Arachnida
Ordo: Araneae
Subordo: Mesothelae

Familia: Liphistiidae
Subfamilia: Liphistiinae
Genus: Liphistius
Species:Liphistius batuensis
Name

Liphistius batuensis Abraham, 1923

Type locality: Batu Caves, Selangor, West Malaysia.

Syntypes: BMNH. male ♂ and female ♀.
References
Primary references

Abraham, H.C. 1923. A new spider of the genus Liphistius. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 1(1): 13–21. JSTOR Hybrid open access journal.

Additional references

Bristowe, W.S., 1933a: The liphistiid spiders. With an appendix on their internal anatomy by J. Millot. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 103: 1016–1057.
Murphy, J.A. & N.I. Platnick, 1981: On Liphistius desultor Schiödte (Araneae, Liphistiidae). Bull. Am. Mus. nat. Hist. 170: 46–56.
Platnick, N.I. & W.C. Sedgwick, 1984: A revision of the spider genus Liphistius (Araneae, Mesothelae). Am. Mus. Novit. 2781: 1–31.
Haupt, J., 2003. The Mesothelae -- a monograph of an exceptional group of spiders (Aaneae: Mesothelae): (Morphology, behaviour, ecology, taxonomy, distribution and phylogeny). Zoologica, 154: 1–102.
Lim, T.W. & S.S. Yussof, 2009. Conservation status of Batu Caves Trapdoor Spider (Liphistius batuensis Abraham (Araneae, Mesothelae)): A preliminary survey. Malayan Nature Journal, 61: 121-132.
The World Spider Catalog, V7.0

Liphistius batuensis is a species of trapdoor spider from Malaysia. It is thought to be restricted to the Batu Caves and a cave in Templer Park, near Kuala Lumpur.[1] It was first collected by H. C. Abraham in 1923, and has been described as a living fossil.[2]

Adults build a nest about 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long with an opening some 22 mm (0.9 in) wide, from which six to 10 strands of silk radiate out 12.5–15 cm (5–6 in) in a semicircle. The movement of an insect against these threads is detected by the spider, which then rushes out and captures the insect.[2] Spiderlings build smaller nests, only 10 mm (0.39 in) across, and seem to abandon these during development to build a bigger nest; intermediate sizes of nests are not seen.[2]

Spiders of all ages may fall prey to cave-dwelling centipedes.[2]
References

T.W. Lim and S.S. Yussof (2009). "Conservation status of Batu Caves Trapdoor Spider (Liphistius batuensis Abraham (Araneae, Mesothelae)): A preliminary survey. 61: 121-132". Malayan Nature Journal. 62 (1): 121–132.
H. Elliott McClure, Boo-Liat Lim & Sarah E. Winn (1967). "Fauna of the Dark Cave, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 9 (3): 399–428.