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Barychelidae Rhianodes

Rhianodes atratus (Thorell, 1890)

Spotted Brush-footed Trapdoor Spider

This is the largest species of Barychelidae in Singapore, easily separated from Idioctis and Monodontium by its sheer size. Females have a compact body build and, under strong lighting, pale spots visible on the dorsum. The femora of females are often a chestnut brown. Mature males are longer-legged and possess a strong spur on each tibia I. similar to the males of Damarchus, but are easily separated by their woolly-looking carapace (wool lacking in Damarchus).

Length♀23 mm; ♂ 14–17 mm.
HabitatAmong leaf litter in disturbed primary forest, secondary forest, and heavily wooded parkland.
BiologyThey construct an almost horizontal tunnel-like retreat, up to 40 mm in length, with a pair of well-camouflaged trapdoors, each approximately 18 mm in diameter, at both ends. Though the species is nocturnal, adult males may occasionally roam outside their retreats after sunrise.
Type LocalityPenang, Malaysia.
DistributionMalaysia (Penang, Perak, Selangor), Philippines, Singapore.

Taxonomy

Taxonomic references

  1. Rhianus atratus (Original description ♀)

    Thorell, 1890d Arachnidi di Pinang raccolti nel 1889 dai Signori L: 277

  2. Rhianodes atratus (♀, D♂)

    Raven, 1994 Mygalomorph spiders of the Barychelidae in Australia and the western Pacific: 697, f. 12O-P, 13C-D, 14A, 236A-B, 237A-D, 238A-D, 239A-G

  3. Idioctis sierramadrensis (Original description ♂)

    Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 Riceland spiders of South and Southeast Asia: 25, f. 6a-n

  4. Rhianodes atratus (Synonym of Idioctis sierramadrensis)

    Raven, 2000a Taxonomica Araneae I: Barychelidae, Theraphosidae, Nemesiidae and Dipluridae (Araneae): 569

Distribution of Rhianodes atratus (Thorell, 1890)

Malaysia (Penang, Perak, Selangor), Philippines, Singapore.

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