Bukit Timah Brush-footed Trapdoor Spider
This species is notable for three reasons: it is one of the smallest in its family, it is extremely rare, and is confined to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore. The name Monodontium means "one tooth" and refers to the single cusp found on the labium of the type specimen. It is now understood that the cusp on the labium can be lacking in some individuals. The eyes are mounted on a tubercle, arranged in three rows, including a straight posterior row. Each of the paired claws on the tarsi of legs I and II (in males), and legs I, II and III (in females), has two rows of teeth. This last set of characters separates Monodontium from other barychelid species in Singapore which have only one row of teeth on each tarsal claw.
| Length | ♀ 6 mm; ♂ 4 mm |
| Type Locality | Singapore |
| Distribution | Singapore. |
| Habitat | Leaf litter in primary rainforest. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Mygalomorphae (Mygalomorphs)
Superfamily Avicularioidea
Monodontium bukittimah (Original description ♂♀)
Raven, 2008a A revision of the mygalomorph spider genus Monodontium Kulczynski (Barychelidae: Araneae): 37, f. 5A-H, 6A-F
* Retrieved from the World Spider Catalog.
Singapore.