2 Mouse spider at Brewongle, NSW
Identification history
| Missulena sp. (genus) | 28 Apr 2025 | NateKingsford | ||
| Unverified | 28 Apr 2025 | AlisonPignon |
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6 comments
NateKingsford
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
Hey @AlisonPignon, looks like the photo is missing from this sighting, could you please double check this :)
AlisonPignon
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
Hi Nate, apologies, I've just added the photos. Keen to know if it was a funnel web spider as it was crawling on my husband's leg before we took these photos! Thanks!
NateKingsford
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
That's all good Alison, it happens. This one is a mature male Missulena sp. (Looks like Missulena dispaca, however some species within the genus are incredibly hard to tell apart without a closer look under a microscope). They're taxonomic cousins to funnel webs (Atracidae family), there isn't too much known about the venom so care should be taken when handling these guys
AlisonPignon
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
Thanks Nate. He was lying on a mat doing stretches, hence it was able to crawl on him. Out of interest, how do you distinguish it from a funnel web?
NateKingsford
wrote:
28 Apr 2025
The easiest way to tell Missulena and Atracidae apart is the eye arrangement. Missulena eyes will be spread across the caput region of the cephalothorax (top of the head area next to the chalicerae), while Atracid eyes will be tightly grouped together. Missulena have a more stocky appearance compared to Atracids and they have much more chonkier looking Chalicerae (the large appendage at the front of the head where the fangs attach to the body).
I'd be happy to help if you have any further questions
I'd be happy to help if you have any further questions
Location information
- Coordinates 149.709426-33.482038
- Places Brewongle, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 7 Apr 2021 10:33 AM Recorded on
- AlisonPignon Recorded by
-
Collections
AlisonPignon NatureMapr Central West NSW Missulena sp. (genus) Trapdoor, Funnelweb or Mouse spiders (Mygalomorphae) Spiders
Species information
- Missulena sp. (genus) Scientific name
- Mouse spider Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1432m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes