Image: Close up of thorax of a Funnel-web spider with mites
A close up of the thorax (head) of a Funnel-web spider (Hadronyche sp) that was brought in to the Australian Museum to be identified. The brown dots covering the thorax are phoretic mites.
- Photographer:
- Carl Bento
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
- Common name:
- Funnel-web spider
- Scientific name:
- Hadronyche sp
- Family:
- Hexathelidae
- Order:
- Araneae
- Location:
- Australian Museum
Additional information
These mites are deutonymphs (second instar nymphs) of some species of the family Acaridae. The deutonymph in these species is a non-feeding stage that functions only for dispersal. This morph is called a hypopus (plural hypopodes) and will be attached to the spider by a ventral sucker plate. They are not parasites.
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