Family ARCHAEIDAE C.L. Koch & Berendt, 1854
Compiler and date details
Valerie Todd Davies, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Introduction
Small, 3-clawed, haplogyne spiders with extremely long chelicerae, the bases of which are separated from the rest of the mouthparts by a neck-like extension of the carapace. Fang is less than one quarter length of chelicera. A row of long rod-like peg teeth on distal promargin of chelicera. Anterior book-lungs; two minute posterior spiracles, well in advance of spinnerets, each leading to a single abdominal tracheal tube. Colulus absent. Patella I conspicuously long. One trichobothrium on metatarsi, none on tarsi. Onychium present. Abdomen-petiole stridulating system. Austrarchaea is found in rainforest, often in moss on tree trunks where it enters webs and preys on other spiders.
Diagnosis
Archaeids are easily recognised by their extremely elongate chelicerae which arise from the highly modified anterior portion of the carapace.