Moggridgea rainbowi, also called the Australian trapdoor spider,[3] is a small spider endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The spider was first recorded in 1919.[4][2]
| Moggridgea rainbowi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Migidae |
| Genus: | Moggridgea |
| Species: | M. rainbowi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Moggridgea rainbowi | |
Distribution edit
The spider's habitat is in burrows just above the high tide mark.[1] The spider has been identified and studied from two sites on Kangaroo Island; the genomes from the two sites 80 km apart indicate that the groups diverged 1 to 6 million years ago, reflective of juveniles not migrating far from their maternal sites.[1] The most closely related species is considered to be the African M. intermedia.[1]
A study has indicated that M. rainbowi is likely to have reached Australia from Africa between 2 and 16 million years ago. Given that this time is intermediate between the separation of Australia from Gwondwana (circa 95 million years ago) and the arrival of humans into Australia, it has been proposed that the spiders may have arrived by oceanic dispersal, such as by rafting vegetation.[1]
Behaviour edit
The spiders live in short burrows, approximately 6cm deep. Young spiders live with their mothers before building their own burrows nearby.[5]
2019-2020 bushfires edit
All known Western River populations were destroyed during the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, one of which burned a third of Kangaroo Island. Only 5 survivors have since been reported.[1][5][6]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Harrison, Sophie; Harvey, Mark; Cooper, Steve; Austin, Andrew; Rix, Michael (2 August 2017). "Across the Indian Ocean: A remarkable example of trans-oceanic dispersal in an austral mygalomorph spider". PLOS ONE. 12 (8): 16. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1280139H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0180139. PMC 5540276. PMID 28767648.
- ^ a b "Taxon details: Moggridgea rainbowi (Pulleine, 1919)". World Spider Catalog. Naturhistorisches Museum Der Burgergemeinde. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ Nogrady, Bianca (2 August 2017). "Australian trapdoor spider may be a seafaring castaway from Africa". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ Pulleine, Robert (1919). "A New Species of Aganippe from Kangaroo Island". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia. 43: 74–76.
- ^ a b Marsh, Jess. "I'm searching firegrounds for surviving Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders. 6 months on, I'm yet to find any". The Conversation.
- ^ "A year after Australia's wildfires, extinction threatens hundreds of species". Science News. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.