An unexpected funnel-web encounter

Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have comes across an unexpected species of funnel-web spider during their studies at Booderee National Park, near Jervis Bay.

ANU biologist Dr Thomas Wallenius was searching the area for funnel-webs when he found the female spider in her lair, burrowed into a rotting log.

“They build a silk-lined burrow inside the hollow log which can be up to two metres long,” he said. “She had probably been living in there for 25 to 30 years,” he said.

Dr Wallenius and his colleagues believe the 50 mm spider is a species of the tree-dwelling genus Hadronyche, rather than the ground-dwelling genus Atrax — the only species reported in the park’s records.

“[The discovery] shows we still have a lot to learn about what’s out there in the bush,” he said.

“It may even turn out to be a new species of funnel-web.”

The discovery of the spider is part of a larger biodiversity study of the area, with Dr Wallenius noting, “The Jervis Bay region has a wide variety of both plant and animal species, as northerly and southerly ocean currents meet, which makes it a rich area to study.”

He added that other spiders are often mistaken for funnel-webs, so members of the public should not panic if they think they have found one.

“The males are more likely to be encountered in the summer months, and may be more aggressive, but contrary to common belief, funnel-webs can’t jump.”

Image credit: Stuart Hay, ANU.

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