Image: 2 of 19 new Goblin spiders
Two scanning electron micrographs of the mouth and sternum of Cavisternum ewani, one of 19 new species of Goblin spiders.
- Photographer:
- Sue Lindsay
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
- Scientific name:
- Cavisternum ewani
- Family:
- Oonopidae
Additional information
The spiders have been recently described by arachnologist, Dr Helen Smith and colleagues Dr Barbara Baehr, Queensland Museum and Dr Mark Harvey,Western Australian Museums.
Many species in the genus Cavisternum can be told apart by the extent of the concave area on the sternum of males and the pattern of modified setae. The sternum of C. ewani is quite spectacular, being almost entirely covered.
This species is widely distributed in drier areas of eastern Queensland. We know little about the habits of these spiders except they are likely to be free-living ground hunters.
Baehr, B., Harvey, M.S. and Smith, H.M. 2010. The goblin spiders of the new endemic Australian genus Cavisternum (Araneae, Oonopidae). American Museum Novitates 3684: 1–40.
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