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Hadronyche valida
If there's any spider that terrifies me beyond measure, it's the Australian Funnel-web, and there are many species. They are one of the most dangerous groups of spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most deadly, both in terms of clinical cases and venom toxicity. Atracinae is a subfamily of spiders in the Funnel-web Spider family Hexathelidae. The subfamily contains 35 species, and all members are native to Australia. Mostly terrestrial, they build typical silk-lined tubular burrow retreats, with a collapsed "tunnel" or open "funnel" entrance from which irregular trip lines radiate out over the ground. The first three photos show a tube that is fully exposed. This spotting shows three burrow entrances that I found in a close proximity to each other.
Found in sub-tropical rainforest, on the Pitta Circuit in D'Aguilar National Park. Thick forest canopy of native trees, and dense undergrowth of shrubs and fern species. Thick leaf litter, dead tree trunks and branches.
The exact species ID was provided by Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. They have documented this species in the area. Another local species is the Toowoomba Funnel-web (Hadronyche infensa), the most common species in south-east Queensland. I grew up in Sydney and am well-acquainted with the Sydney Funnel-web (Atrax robustus), one of the nastiest species of all.
Spotted on May 16, 2015
Submitted on May 18, 2015
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