Mouse spider
Encyclopedia
Mouse spiders are spider
s of the genus Missulena, in the mygalomorph
family Actinopodidae
. There are 11 known species in this genus, all but one of which are indigenous to Australia
. One species, M. tussulena, is found in Chile
. The name derives from an old belief, now known to be false, that the spiders dig deep burrows similar to those of mice
.
There is evidence that the bite of a mouse spider is potentially as serious as that of an Australasian funnel-web spider
; however recorded envenomings by this spider are rare. Funnel-web antivenom has been found to be an effective treatment for serious bites.
Another spider, Scotophaeus blackwalli, shares the nickname 'Mouse Spider', but does not belong to the Misulena genus and is not dangerous.
is glossy, and they have high, broad heads, with eyes spread out across the front of the head. They have short spinnerets, located in the rear of the abdomen. Mouse spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism
, with female spiders being all black; and male spiders having species-specific coloration. The male Eastern mouse spider (M. bradleyi) have a bluish patch, and the male Red-headed mouse spider (M. occatoria) are brownish or blue-black in color, with bright red-tinged jaws.
Mouse spiders prey mainly on insect
s, though they may consume other small animals as opportunity presents. The primary predators of the mouse spider include wasp
s, bandicoot
s, centipede
s, and scorpion
s.
, and the nearest related genera of Missulena also occur in South America
. This is because they are part of the Gondwana
n fauna. Similar to trapdoor spider
s, the mouse spider lives in burrows covered with trapdoors, which can extend to nearly 30 cm (1 foot) in depth. Female mouse spiders generally remain in their burrows; the males will wander in search of mates.
found in funnel-web venom; and funnel-web antivenom has been found to be effective in treating severe mouse spider bites. Unlike the funnel-web, however, the mouse spider is far less aggressive towards humans, and may often give "dry" bites.
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s of the genus Missulena, in the mygalomorph
Mygalomorphae
The Mygalomorphae, , are an infraorder of spiders. The latter name comes from the orientation of the fangs which point straight down and do not cross each other .-Description:...
family Actinopodidae
Actinopodidae
The spider family Actinopodidae is a family of mygalomorph spiders found in Australia, South America, and Central America. It includes the Australian genus Missulena, known as the mouse spiders, which are quite venomous.-Genera:...
. There are 11 known species in this genus, all but one of which are indigenous to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. One species, M. tussulena, is found in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. The name derives from an old belief, now known to be false, that the spiders dig deep burrows similar to those of mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
.
There is evidence that the bite of a mouse spider is potentially as serious as that of an Australasian funnel-web spider
Australasian funnel-web spider
Australian funnel-web spiders are venomous spiders of the family Hexathelidae, represented by 31 described species of Hadronyche, four Bymainiella spp., two Teranodes and monotyptic genera Plesiothera fentoni and Ilawarra whisharti...
; however recorded envenomings by this spider are rare. Funnel-web antivenom has been found to be an effective treatment for serious bites.
Another spider, Scotophaeus blackwalli, shares the nickname 'Mouse Spider', but does not belong to the Misulena genus and is not dangerous.
Description
Mouse spiders are medium-to-large specimens, which range in length from 1 cm to 3 cm. Their carapaceCarapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
is glossy, and they have high, broad heads, with eyes spread out across the front of the head. They have short spinnerets, located in the rear of the abdomen. Mouse spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, with female spiders being all black; and male spiders having species-specific coloration. The male Eastern mouse spider (M. bradleyi) have a bluish patch, and the male Red-headed mouse spider (M. occatoria) are brownish or blue-black in color, with bright red-tinged jaws.
Mouse spiders prey mainly on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, though they may consume other small animals as opportunity presents. The primary predators of the mouse spider include wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s, bandicoot
Bandicoot
Bandicoots are a group of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia.- Etymology :...
s, centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
s, and scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s.
Habitat, range
The mouse spiders range throughout Australia, with different species being found in different states there. One species is found in ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and the nearest related genera of Missulena also occur in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. This is because they are part of the Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
n fauna. Similar to trapdoor spider
Trapdoor spider
Trapdoor spiders are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. Some similar species are also called trapdoor spiders, such as the Liphistiidae, Barychelidae, Cyrtaucheniidae and some Idiopidae and Nemesiidae...
s, the mouse spider lives in burrows covered with trapdoors, which can extend to nearly 30 cm (1 foot) in depth. Female mouse spiders generally remain in their burrows; the males will wander in search of mates.
Medical significance
The bites of several species of mouse spider in Australia have been found to produce serious symptoms, similar to the Australasian funnel-web spider. However, serious envenomings are relatively rare; most mouse spider bites documented in the medical literature did not require use of antivenom, or involve serious symptoms. The venom of the Eastern mouse spider (M. bradleyi) was found to have toxins similar to the robustoxinRobustoxin
Robustoxin , sometimes misspelled robustotoxin, and alternatively known as delta atracotoxin, is a low-molecular-weight neurotoxic polypeptide found in the venom of the Sydney funnel-web spider ....
found in funnel-web venom; and funnel-web antivenom has been found to be effective in treating severe mouse spider bites. Unlike the funnel-web, however, the mouse spider is far less aggressive towards humans, and may often give "dry" bites.
Species
- Missulena bradleyi Rainbow, 1914 (New South Wales)
- Missulena dipsaca Faulder, 1995 (Australia)
- Missulena granulosa (O. P-CambridgeOctavius Pickard-CambridgeThe Reverend Octavius Pickard-Cambridge FRS was an English clergyman and zoologist.Pickard-Cambridge was born in Bloxworth rectory, Dorset, the fifth son of Revd George Pickard, rector and squire of Bloxworth: the family changed their name to Pickard-Cambridge in 1848...
, 1869) (Western Australia) - Missulena hoggi Womersley, 1943 (Western Australia)
- Missulena insignis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1877) (Australia)
- Missulena occatoriaMissulena occatoriaThe red-headed mouse spider is found almost everywhere in Australia, from open forests to desert shrublands. It is the largest and most widely distributed Missulena species, because the spiderlings are wind-dispersed...
Walckenaer, 1805 (Southern Australia) - Missulena pruinosa Levitt-Gregg, 1966 (Western Australia, Northern Territory)
- Missulena reflexa Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 (South Australia)
- Missulena rutraspina Faulder, 1995 (Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria)
- Missulena torbayensis Main, 1996 (Western Australia)
- Missulena tussulena Goloboff, 1994 (Chile)