Aname Explained

Aname is a genus of mygalomorph spiders. It is endemic to Australia. The spiders, as well as some in closely related genera, are also known as wishbone spiders.

Diagnosis

Aname species may be distinguished from other genera in the family by the presence of a prominent asetose ventral depression on the male pedipalpal tibia.^[1]

Distribution and habitat

While Aname prefers dry open country and occurs throughout much of Australia (though mostly inland), Chenistonia occurs mostly in South and Western Australia, and Namea is only known along the east coast in rainforests.

The lesser wishbone spider (Aname distincta) occurs through the lowland open forests of south-east Queensland's Moreton Valley as far north as Eidsvold and Gayndah, and the greater wishbone spider (Aname pallida) from Gladstone along dry coastal corridors to Cairns. One species (Aname tasmanica) is found only in Tasmania.

Behaviour

Spiders in this genus, together with the very similar genera Chenistonia and Namea, are called "wishbone spiders", for the shape of their open silk-lined burrow, which has the shape of the letter "Y", with one arm shorter than the other. Only the longer arm reaches the surface. The shorter arm is believed to allow the spider to survive flooding by trapping an air bubble.

Interactions with humans

Bites from Aname are rare, but females of Aname inimica (which are also considered "unfriendly" by Aboriginal Australians) are reported to have bitten several people, resulting in local pain, redness and soreness.

Species

, the World Spider Catalog accepts 48 species:

• A. aragog Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012 — WA
• A. atra (Strand, 1913) — SA
• A. aurea Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — NSW
• A. baileyorum Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. barrema Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. blackdownensis Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. camara Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. carina Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. coenosa Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — SA
• A. collinsorum Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. comosa Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — SA
• A. distincta (Rainbow, 1914) — QLD
• A. diversicolor (Hogg, 1902) — SA, WA
• A. elegans (Harvey, Wilson & Rix, 2022) — SA
• A. ellenae Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012 — WA
• A. exulans Harvey & Huey, 2020 — WA
• A. frostorum Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. fuscocincta Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — WA
• A. grandis Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — SA
• A. grothi Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. hirsuta Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 — SA
• A. humptydoo Raven, 1985 — NT
• A. inimica Raven, 1985 — NSW, QLD
• A. kirrama Raven, 1984 — QLD
• A. lillianae Harvey & Huey, 2020 — WA
• A. longitheca Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. lorica Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. maculata (Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918) — WA
• A. mainae Raven, 2000 — SA
• A. marae Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012 — WA
• A. mcalpinei Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. mccleeryorum Harvey & Huey, 2020 — WA
• A. mellosa Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012 — WA
• A. munyardae Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. nitidimarina Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. pallida L. Koch, 1873 (type) — QLD
• A. phillipae Harvey & Huey, 2020 — WA
• A. platypus (L. Koch, 1875)
• A. pulchella (Harvey, Wilson & Rix, 2022) — WA
• A. robertsorum Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. simoneae Harvey & Huey, 2020 — WA
• A. sinuata Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. tasmanica Hogg, 1902 — TAS
• A. tigrina Raven, 1985 — QLD
• A. vernonorum Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. warialda Raven, 1985 — NSW, QLD
• A. watsoni Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA
• A. whitei Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 — WA

Notes and References

1. Harvey. MS. Gruber. K. Hillyer. MJ. Huey. JA. Five new species of the open-holed trapdoor spider genus Aname (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Anamidae) from Western Australia, with a revised generic placement for Aname armigera. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 2020. 35. 10–38 . 10.1636/0161-8202-48.2.169.