Hadronyche is a genus of venomous Australian funnel-web spiders that was first described by L. Koch in 1873. Originally placed with the curtain web spiders, it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980, then to the Atracidae in 2018.
Description Their size varies significantly, measuring from 1 to 5 cm. Most species in this genus, as most Mygalomorphae, have a glossy black or brown carapace. They have a very long life span for spiders, having been known to live for up to 20 years.
They can be easily identified by the raised morphology of their caput (the front part of the cephalothorax). If identification is not certain, they can be distinguished from Atrax by the unmodified or blunt apophysis in their second tibia, or from Illawarra by the male tarsi, which have two instead of three ventral spine rows.
Venom While Australian funnel-web spider venom is medically significant, no human fatalities as a result have been recorded since the introduction of antivenom in 1980. The venom profile of this genus is also different from the other genera from the Atracidae family.
Distribution They are found in eastern Australia from north-east Queensland to Tasmania and the Gulf Ranges region of South Australia. They live primarily in the moist regions and highlands of the east coast, though they are also found in drier open forests in the Western Slopes of the Great Dividing Range and South Australia's gulf ranges.
Burrows Hadronyche spiders usually make their burrows under rocks or logs, usually in cool humid areas. As with most funnel web spiders, these spiders make funnel shaped webs. The webs have silk trip lines radiating from the entrance which function as a warning system, alerting the spiders to the presence of insect prey or a possible mate. In the case of seasonal rains, the burrows can flood. While these spiders are able to survive submerged for several hours by trapping air bubbles with their hair covered legs beneath their abdomens, prolonged flooding can force them to leave their burrows. They may also leave their burrow to find a mate.
Species , it contains 33 species, all from Australia:
Hadronyche adelaidensis (Gray, 1984) – SA Hadronyche alpina Gray, 2010 – NSW, ACT, VIC Hadronyche annachristiae Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche anzses Raven, 2000 – QLD Hadronyche cerberea L. Koch, 1873 (type species) – NSW Hadronyche emmalizae Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche eyrei (Gray, 1984) – SA Hadronyche flindersi (Gray, 1984) – SA Hadronyche formidabilis (Rainbow, 1914) – QLD, NSW Hadronyche infensa (Hickman, 1964) – QLD, NSW Hadronyche jensenae Gray, 2010 – VIC Hadronyche kaputarensis Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche lamingtonensis Gray, 2010 – QLD, NSW Hadronyche levittgreggae Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche lynabrae Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche macquariensis Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche marracoonda Gray, 2010 – NSW, ACT Hadronyche mascordi Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche meridiana Hogg, 1902 – NSW, VIC Hadronyche modesta (Simon, 1891) – VIC Hadronyche monaro Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche monteithi Gray, 2010 – QLD Hadronyche nadgee (Whitington & Harris, 2021) – NSW Hadronyche nimoola Gray, 2010 – NSW, ACT Hadronyche orana Gray, 2010 – NSW Hadronyche pulvinator (Hickman, 1927) – TAS Hadronyche raveni Gray, 2010 – QLD Hadronyche simonfearni Raven & Douglas, 2025 – TAS Hadronyche tambo Gray, 2010 – VIC Hadronyche valida (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918) – QLD, NSW Hadronyche venenata (Hickman, 1927) – TAS Hadronyche versuta (Rainbow, 1914) – NSW Hadronyche walkeri Gray, 2010 – NSW
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