Zephyrarchaea austini

Zephyrarchaea austini or the Kangaroo Island assassin spider is a species of Australian assassin spiders that is endemic to the north west of Kangaroo Island. It was discovered in 2010,[2] and described 2012 by Michael G. Rix and Mark Harvey, and named for Andy Austin.[1]

Zephyrarchaea austini
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Archaeidae
Genus: Zephyrarchaea
Species:
Z. austini
Binomial name
Zephyrarchaea austini
Rix & Harvey, 2012[1]

They are possibly extinct following the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires after their only known habitat was burnt.[3] The scientists who originally discovered it describe its survival is "unlikely at best".[2]

Description

The Kangaroo Island assassin spider is 2 mm in size and lives in leaf litter of wet eucalypt woodland near 'Billy Goat Falls'.[3]

The females are distinguished from other members of the Zephyrarchaea genus by a small body size, a carapace length of less than 1.10mm a height/length ratio of less than 1.70mm. Additionally they have no tubercles on the abdomen, and a "strongly concave post-ocular depression in the lateral view". The males are unknown.[1]

References
  1. Rix M, Harvey M (2012), "Australian Assassins, Part II: A review of the new assassin spider genus Zephyrarchaea (Araneae, Archaeidae) from southern Australia", ZooKeys, Pensoft Publishers, 191: –2, doi:10.3897/zookeys.191.3070, retrieved 22 August 2020 Versioned wiki page: 2012-05-07, version 24292, https://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Zephyrarchaea_austini&oldid=24292 , contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers.
  2. Rix, Mike (13 May 2020). "Let's not forget the "little things"". Queensland Museum Network.
  3. Kilvert, Nick. "'Assassin' spiders feared extinct after Kangaroo Island bushfires". ABC News.


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