Mygalomorph fooled me

[dragonblade71]

Here's the hairy bugger / escape artist.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Here's the hairy bugger / escape artist. View attachment 448916

The culprit is Proshermacha sp. (Anamidae, wishbone spiders), considered mildly venomous. Arguably the most beautiful genus in the country IMO.

Mature male:


Female:

Proshermacha sp. Adelaide Hills

• RezonantVoid
• May 13, 2022
• 2
• adult female anamidae proshermacha wishbone spider

One of the best looking Australian spiders money can buy

 

[RezonantVoid]

Teyl have also been recorded in the island, but Proshermacha are the more common of the 2

Anamidae sp. Crawford forest 1

• RezonantVoid
• Aug 28, 2021
• anamidae mature male wishbone spider

The mature male of a presumed Teyl sp.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Oh I'm sure your enclosures are escape proof. The plastic containers that I placed these mygalomorphs in were only meant to be temporary. I was planning to transfer each one to a glass aquarium.



Woah they sound like huge crab spiders. I thought they were generally tiny. Crab spiders must not be common where I am. I have only ever seen once and that was in the backyard. It was on a daisy and I saw it catch a tiny winged insect.

Yah odds are they were huntsman or giant crabs just more of a nickname. Never seen them again in Ohio since possibley a rare Country form ??

The culprit is Proshermacha sp. (Anamidae, wishbone spiders), considered mildly venomous. Arguably the most beautiful genus in the country IMO.

Mature male:
View attachment 448949

Female:

Proshermacha sp. Adelaide Hills

• RezonantVoid
• May 13, 2022
• 2
• adult female anamidae proshermacha wishbone spider

One of the best looking Australian spiders money can buy

looks like a giant version of those little wood louse

I admit I know so little of the native mygalomorphs (except for our tarantulas.) It sounds like it's quite a vast field with many genera and species of trapdoor and funnel web spiders, mouse spiders etc. So much to explore.

shame they are so unexplored none in the hobby beside a few , cousins of tarantulas I’d definitely keep them if they were more popular.

 

[dragonblade71]

The culprit is Proshermacha sp. (Anamidae, wishbone spiders), considered mildly venomous. Arguably the most beautiful genus in the country IMO.

Mature male:
View attachment 448949

Female:

Proshermacha sp. Adelaide Hills

• RezonantVoid
• May 13, 2022
• 2
• adult female anamidae proshermacha wishbone spider

One of the best looking Australian spiders money can buy

Thank you for the ID. Indeed - beautiful looking spiders. With the picture you supplied, I do see more spines on legs III and IV - just like mine. So that's certainly a match there. Though I don't see that raised triangular section on the carapace on mine. I wonder if it's possible for some species within the Proshermacha genus to not have that raised triangular section. Also, the pattern on the carapace on my spider looks identical to Seqocrypta jakara. I must say though that the female Proshermacha looks stunning.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Thank you for the ID. Indeed - beautiful looking spiders. With the picture you supplied, I do see more spines on legs III and IV - just like mine. So that's certainly a match there. Though I don't see that raised triangular section on the carapace on mine. I wonder if it's possible for some species within the Proshermacha genus to not have that raised triangular section. Also, the pattern on the carapace on my spider looks identical to Seqocrypta jakara. I must say though that the female Proshermacha looks stunning.

They caput height can vary a little, but in general, Anamids have a very flat caput, your specimen doesn't strike me as out of place for the family at all. But that covering of golden setae is always stunning, especially combined with the red base colour

If by pattern, you're referring to the dark streaks besides the caput, those are just gaps in the metallic hairs, and males from very large selection of genera/species can have that. Seqocrypta males would look significantly different to this, but the key is always to check for claw tufts and an ability to climb and stick to glass or plastic

 

[dragonblade71]

Good observations. Like I mentioned above, I know so little about a lot of the Australian mygalomorphs. And yes, I agree - it is an attractive looking spider. I do admit that the ends of the feet do look very different to Seqocrypta jakara.

When the previous one escaped in my bedroom months ago, I left out a small plastic tray on the carpet with some drops of water. I was hoping that the spider would be attracted to the water and come over. Though I never saw it over there or anywhere nearby. I then did the same thing with this latest escapade in my bedroom (leaving out water) but no luck there either.

A weird thing is last night, I noticed a large immobile skink in my room. A strange sight. It's still in the same position now so likely dead. Wonder if it was envenomated by one of the mygalomorphs in here! Though if that was the case, I guess it would be mostly a mushy mess of goo. It's probably the only time when Ive seen a reptile in my bedroom.

 

[dragonblade71]

Oh there's something else I'm curious about with regards to mygalomorphs. Can only spiders from the Barychelidae family be known as brush footed trapdoor spiders? Or could the term 'brush footed trapdoor spiders' be also used with specimens from Animidae.

Ive discovered that wishbone spiders don't build trapdoors for their burrows. Though it seems that some spiders are still called trapdoor spiders despite having no trapdoor.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Oh there's something else I'm curious about with regards to mygalomorphs. Can only spiders from the Barychelidae family be known as brush footed trapdoor spiders? Or could the term 'brush footed trapdoor spiders' be also used with specimens from Animidae.

Ive discovered that wishbone spiders don't build trapdoors for their burrows. Though it seems that some spiders are still called trapdoor spiders despite having no trapdoor.

Only Barychelidae are brush foots, named due to the presence of claw tufts. These include Idiommata, Trittame, Seqocrypta, Ozicrypta, Mandjellia, Synothele, Sason and a few more

And yes, no species from Anamidae build lids, Instead, they may have a "Y" shaped burrow structure with a 2nd secret entrance, used an escape route in case of a centipede invasion. The burrow structure is where "wishbone" spider comes from

 

[dragonblade71]

Thank you once again. Ah yes I suspected that the 'wishbone' name came from the shape of their burrows. A website I browsed recently confirmed that for me.

 

[dragonblade71]

Actually, some years ago up near the Adelaide hills, I was working with someone in a shed. Some timber was being moved and this disturbed a mygalomorph who came strolling out into the open. It was an impressive looking beast. Large, black and a robust, bulky body. It was walking quite slowly. I would have liked to know what what family, genus and species it was. It also would have been great to collect it and keep it in an enclosure. Though as soon as the other guy saw it, he stomped on it with his boot, flattening it. Some people are so ignorant. Incredibly frustrating as this was one of the few times in my life where I have seen a non tarantula mygalomorph with my own eyes.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Actually, some years ago up near the Adelaide hills, I was working with someone in a shed. Some timber was being moved and this disturbed a mygalomorph who came strolling out into the open. It was an impressive looking beast. Large, black and a robust, bulky body. It was walking quite slowly. I would have liked to know what what family, genus and species it was. It also would have been great to collect it and keep it in an enclosure. Though as soon as the other guy saw it, he stomped on it with his boot, flattening it. Some people are so ignorant. Incredibly frustrating as this was one of the few times in my life where I have seen a non tarantula mygalomorph with my own eyes.

Idiosoma, luckily for you, found on the island as well. Stocky, heavy set Idiopids that often build a capital "D" shaped lid, hinged on the flat edge. Distinguishable from comparable Blakistonia by a larger maximum size, a triangular/trapezoidal eye arrangement, and the presence of sigillae on the abdomen. The last 2 photos in my post on the first page are of this genus.

Colour can range from light brown to almost solid black, and the genus is very common in the arid areas west of Melbourne all the way into WA. I believe they are present in every state of the mainland, but not at all the easiest to locate due to their camoflauged lids (some more than others)

 

[dragonblade71]

Ah thank you - Idiosoma. For a long time, Ive been really curious as to what that mygalmomorph could have been. Very impressive. And yea stocky. Looked like a solid black to me if I recall. That is the only specimen Ive ever seen. I haven't seen them on the island. I'll keep a lookout for those D shaped trapdoors though I know they'll be hard to find.

 

[Wolfram1]

Ah thank you - Idiosoma. For a long time, Ive been really curious as to what that mygalmomorph could have been. Very impressive. And yea stocky. Looked like a solid black to me if I recall. That is the only specimen Ive ever seen. I haven't seen them on the island. I'll keep a lookout for those D shaped trapdoors though I know they'll be hard to find.

if you find any post pictures pls

 

[dragonblade71]

if you find any post pictures pls

Will do! I think my chances of finding another one are rather slim. Such an elusive spider. I wish I was able to keep the one I saw years ago as a pet. It was such a beast. The kind of spider that would intimidate many people.

 

[The Snark]

Wonder if it was envenomated by one of the mygalomorphs in here! Though if that was the case, I guess it would be mostly a mushy mess of goo.

The general rule with the majority of envomations from all animals is to immobilize. With some that usually bear a hemotoxin the venom aids in digestion by destroying tissue. With spiders however, the usual mechanism post initial venom onset is they vomit digestive fluids into the wound. So a bite without follow up prolonged feeding only immobilizes.

What I find interesting is the venom activity is dictated in part by environmental factors. The Russells and Saw Scale vipers exemplify. In warmers climes their venom is predominantly a neurotoxin while in colder climes a mostly hemotoxin is delivered to aid in the digestion. The water gets muddied further when the venom is employed not simply to capture prey for feeding but as a protective device. The cone shell snail venom is an extraordinarily powerful toxin that often instantly immobilizes just about any animal but is very rarely if ever used for feeding purposes.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Ah thank you - Idiosoma. For a long time, Ive been really curious as to what that mygalmomorph could have been. Very impressive. And yea stocky. Looked like a solid black to me if I recall. That is the only specimen Ive ever seen. I haven't seen them on the island. I'll keep a lookout for those D shaped trapdoors though I know they'll be hard to find.

Thankfully, some Idiosoma around Adelaide at least have a pretty obvious border around the edge of the lid, so as long as you're in the right spots and look carefully, they can be easy to spot. Assuming the kangaroo island species are the same or similar to those on the mainland, look for something like below. The following photos were taken by an awesome acquaintance of mine near Adelaide

 

[RezonantVoid]

Will do! I think my chances of finding another one are rather slim. Such an elusive spider. I wish I was able to keep the one I saw years ago as a pet. It was such a beast. The kind of spider that would intimidate many people.

Also, if you are genuinely keen on keeping one, I might be able to help you out. You're one of very few members on this site I can actually exchange stuff with since so few Aussies stick around

 

[dragonblade71]

Also, if you are genuinely keen on keeping one, I might be able to help you out. You're one of very few members on this site I can actually exchange stuff with since so few Aussies stick around

Thank you very much for your offer. First of all, I'll see how I go with your tips on finding one in the wild. The photos you posted above showing the D shaped trapdoor are a great indicator on what to look for. There a number of areas around here with soil, trees and various types of vegetation where I could start looking.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Thank you very much for your offer. First of all, I'll see how I go with your tips on finding one in the wild. The photos you posted above showing the D shaped trapdoor are a great indicator on what to look for. There a number of areas around here with soil, trees and various types of vegetation where I could start looking.

I'll DM you a screenshot of the Atlas Of Living map with all recorded myg sightings for the island. It might be helpful when searching