Open-access, online, rapid taxonomy
ISSN: 2653-4649 (Online)
Australian Journal of
Taxonomy
|
There is a temporary problem with this page which is preventing most papers from displaying correctly. It will be fixed within the next 24 hours. Apologies for this temporary issue.
Two new species plus new records and observations of shield-backed trapdoor spiders in the Idiosoma nigrum-group (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae: Aganippini) from south-western Australia
Michael G. Rix, Mark S. Harvey, Rowan A. Lymbery, Saul J. Cowen, David Pongracz and Jeremy D. Wilson
Author details ⏷
Michael G. Rix [1,2*], Mark S. Harvey [2,3,1], Rowan A. Lymbery [4,3], Saul J. Cowen [4,3], David Pongracz [5] and Jeremy D. Wilson [2,3,1]
[1] Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum Collections and Research Centre, Hendra, Queensland 4011, Australia.
[2] Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia.
[3] School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
[4] Animal Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woodvale, Western Australia 6026, Australia.
[5] Parks and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woorree, Western Australia 6530, Australia.
Abstract
The shield-backed trapdoor spiders of the Idiosoma nigrum-group are an iconic lineage of conservation-significant mygalomorph spiders endemic to south-western Western Australia. A previous monographic revision of this group in 2018 revealed 16 species, although in the years since the publication of that work, significant new collection material has come to light, belonging to at least 10 described and two undescribed species. In this paper, we describe the two new species in the nigrum-group: Idiosoma ganbarrga Rix, Harvey & Wilson, sp. nov. from Badimia and Yamatji (Widi Mob) Country (in the southern Yalgoo bioregion), and I. garrawarla Rix, Harvey & Wilson, sp. nov. from Minangu Country (Weld Range in the Murchison bioregion). We further describe the first female specimens of I. gutharuka Rix & Harvey, 2018 and I. kwongan Rix & Harvey, 2018, provide new collection or survey records for 13 species, and present revised distribution maps for all 18 known species, as a contemporary second stage update to earlier revisionary systematics. These latest records provide substantive range extensions for I. dandaragan Rix & Harvey, 2018, I. gutharuka, I. intermedium Rix & Harvey, 2018, I. kwongan and I. nigrum Main, 1952, with survey-based records for the threatened I. nigrum revealing three extant populations in the Avon Wheatbelt bioregion. Extensive survey-based records for I. jarrah Rix & Harvey, 2018 also reveal important in situ biological observations of spiders within their burrows, including novel defensive and other reproductive behaviours, plus the first photographic evidence of a sperm web and male pedipalp 'charging' behaviour in an Australian idiopid.
Cite this paper as: Rix MG, Harvey MS, Lymbery RA, Cowen SJ, Pongracz D & Wilson JD (2026). Two new species plus new records and observations of shield-backed trapdoor spiders in the Idiosoma nigrum-group (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae: Aganippini) from south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Taxonomy 118: 1–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.54102/ajt.s2iet
This paper was published on: 6/4/2026
Paper
Corrigendum
