Spider common names

[Paul Selden]

>Robert,
>In the popular book cited below, Bert Brunet calls Dipluridae and
>Nemesiidae "funnel-web-like" spiders, while Hexathelidae are
>"funnel-web" spiders (p. 85).
>
>Brunet, B. 1996. Spiderwatch: A Guide to Australian Spiders. Kew
>(Melbourne): Reed Books Australia. (ISBN 0 7301 0486 9)
>
>"From:    Robert Labelle <robla at STREMY.COM>
>"Subject: Dipluidae and Nemesiidae
>"Hello,
>"I'm looking for common names of the following two spider families:
>"Dipluidae, Nemesiidae. Both are Mygalomorphs.
>"Thanks!
>"Robert Labelle
>--
>Dr Robert Mesibov

Roberts,

Most nemesiids make trap doors at the end of burrows (as do some other
families in Mygalomorphae), so I think "Trap-door spiders" would be a
better name for Nemesiidae, if you really have to use a "common name".
Dipluridae could be called "Funnel-web spiders" OK.

Paul Selden


================================================
Dr Paul A. Selden, Department of Earth Sciences
University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Phone: ## (44) 161 275 3296 / ## (44) 1625 582758
Fax: ## (44) 161 275 3947 / ## (44) 1625 582758
Website:  http://quercus.ge.man.ac.uk
================================================