Aatolana

Stanwellia grisea (*)

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: Opisthothelae
Infraordo: Mygalomorphae
Superfamilia: Nemesioidea

Familia: Pycnothelidae
Genus: Stanwellia
Species: Stanwellia grisea
Name

Stanwellia grisea (Hogg, 1901)

Type locality: Macedon, Victoria

Lectotype: BMNH. (lectotype Aname grisea designated by Main, 1972: 105)
Synonymy

Aname grisea Hogg, 1901: 252 (original combination)
Stanwellia grisea (Hogg): Main, 1972: 105
Aname arborea Hogg, 1901: 254
Type locality: Macedon, Australia
Lectotype: BMNH. female ♀. (lectotype designated by Main, 1972: 105)
Aname pellucida Hogg, 1901: 255
Type locality: Bacchus Marsh, Australia
Lectotype: BMNH. female ♀. (lectotype designated by Main, 1972: 105)
Ixamatus gregorii Hogg, 1901: 258
Type locality: Macedon, Australia.
Holotype: BMNH. male ♂.
Chenistonia major Hogg, 1901: 263
Type locality: Macedon, Australia.
Lectotype: BMNH. female ♀. (lectotype designated by Main, 1972: 105)
Aname butleri Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918: 157
Type locality: Merri Creek, Melbourne, Australia
Lectotype: AM. male ♂. K41482. (lectotype designated by Main, 1972: 105)

References
Primary references

Hogg, H.R. 1901. On Australian and New Zealand spiders of the suborder Mygalomorphae. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 71(1): 218-279. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1901.tb08176.x. Open access. Reference page.

Additional references

Main, B.Y. 1972. The mygalomorph spider genus Stanwellia Rainbow & Pulleine (Dipluridae) and its relationship to Aname Koch and certain other diplurine genera. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia 55: 100-114. Reference page.
Rainbow, W.J. & Pulleine, R.H. 1918. Australian trap-door spiders. Records of the Australian Museum 12: 81-169. Reference page.

Links

Platnick, N. I. 2008. The World Spider Catalog, version 9.0. American Museum of Natural History. [1]

Vernacular names
English: Melbourne Trapdoor Spider

Stanwellia grisea, also known as the Melbourne trapdoor spider, is a species of mygalomorph spider in the Pycnothelidae family. It is endemic to Australia. It was described in 1901 by British arachnologist Henry Roughton Hogg.[1][2]
Description

Female spiders grow up to 35 mm in body length; males to 25 mm. The body is brown; the abdomen may be paler with a darker, rib-like pattern on the upper surface. Large cheliceral fangs are displayed when the spider feels threatened.[3]
Distribution and habitat

The spiders are found in southern Victoria in tall open forest habitats. Their range includes the environs of the city of Melbourne and the Grampian Mountains. The type locality is Macedon.[2]
Behaviour

The spiders are fossorial, terrestrial predators.[2] Both males and females dig individual silk-lined burrows, up to 40 cm deep in soft earth, with silk threads radiating from the entrances. They ambush insects and other small prey at night from the burrow entrances which, despite the common name, do not have trapdoors. During autumn and early winter, males leave their burrows and wander widely in search of mates.[3]
Interactions with humans

The spiders, especially the roaming males, can be encountered in gardens and urban areas. Their fangs are capable of delivering a deep and painful bite, which may cause a local reaction.[3]
References

Hogg, HR (1901). "On Australian and New Zealand spiders of the suborder Mygalomorphae". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1901 (2): 218–279 [252].
"Species Stanwellia grisea (Hogg, 1901)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2022. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
Ken Walker (2022). "Stanwellia grisea (Hogg, 1901), Melbourne Trapdoor Spider". Museums Victoria Collections. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 2023-06-25.