Atrax sutherlandi
Species of spider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atrax sutherlandi is a species of Australian funnel-web spider found in forests on the far southern coast of New South Wales and in eastern Victoria. It was named after Struan Sutherland, whose work resulted in a successful funnel-web spider antivenom.[2]
| Atrax sutherlandi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male and female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Atracidae |
| Genus: | Atrax |
| Species: | A. sutherlandi |
| Binomial name | |
| Atrax sutherlandi | |
Normally, A. sutherlandi has a glossy black back and chelicerae ("fangs"), as well as a deep-brown or plum-coloured underbelly. An adult grows to a length of 2 inches (5 cm). A report in 2015 described an unusual individual with a blood-red belly and chelicerae.[3] Unlike its close relative the Sydney funnel web that lives in urban areas, A. sutherlandi commonly resides in remote areas, thus posing little danger to the public.[4]
Due to the niche microhabitat of the Atrax sutherlandi, species divergence can easily occur when there is minor change in the environment.[5]