Spelungula cavernicola
| Spelungula | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gradungulidae |
| Genus: |
Spelungula Forster, 1987 |
| Species: | S. cavernicola |
| Binomial name | |
|
Spelungula cavernicola Forster, 1987 |
|
Spelungula is a genus of spiders in the family Gradungulidae. The genus has only one species, Spelungula cavernicola, or the Nelson cave spider, which is endemic to New Zealand. It is New Zealand's largest known spider in terms of leg span (13 –15 cm) and it has a body length of 2.4 centimetres (0.94 in).
As of 1991[update], it is the only spider protected under the Wildlife Act. It is classed as "Range Restricted" and stable in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. As the name suggests it is known only from a few caves in the Nelson and Buller region of the South Island, New Zealand. Its main prey is cave weta.
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