how to tell the difference between atrax r. and others funnel webs

[wascosa]

can someone tell me they keys to identify an A. robustus from other funnel webs or spiders that look like it?


and pls this should not be another duscussion about how dangerous A. robustus or how and why to keep it!

thx mates

[El Johano]

Check the chephalothorax, Atrax robustus have a rather flat cephalothorax whereas it is strongly raised in Hadronyche sp.
Atrax robustus (a bit beat up I know):
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/999/dsc54620fd.jpg
Hadronyche infensa:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6184/dsc28940yj.jpg

There are off cource other differences as well in the spinnerets or the tribal spurs, you can also look at the filling of teeth in the fang groove. But that is hard if not impossible to do on a living specimen.

Edit:
I assumed we were talking about Aussie funnelwebs? Macrothele have a lot longer spinnerets than Atrax or Hadronyche. Macrothele calpetana (not my pic):
http://www.terrarachnida.com/Secciones/AracnidosEspanoles/MacrotheleCalpetana.jpg

[Gigas]

I was thinking about this just the other day as Atrax seem to be grouped with Hadronyche everywhere.

[wascosa]

thank you!!!

hmm do you think i have a chance to tell the difference between atrax.r and any other spider in the world when i look at the flat cephalothorax and the shorter spinnerets? or are there many other with maybe the same flat c. and short s.?


its not really a question of live and death but i just wanna be sure ;-)