Family NEMESIIDAE Simon, 1892
Compiler and date details
Robert J. Raven, Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane, Q. 4101
Introduction
Like the Idiopidae, the Australian Nemesiidae are very diverse and are found in most habitats; similarly, however, they too are small and rare in Cape York Peninsula. Although most are moderate-sized burrowing spiders, Xamiatus from eastern Australia vies with the Theraphosidae for the crown of largest spider. The Nemesiidae were long included in the Dipluridae until Raven (1985).
Diagnosis
In Australia, nemesiids are readily recognised by being the only mygalomorphs with 2 rows of teeth on the paired claws at least of the first pair of legs and a third claw at least on the fourth leg; they may be readily distinguished from some male barychelids which also have 2 rows of teeth on the claw, but the longer digitiform apical segment of the posterior lateral spinnerets and paired dense claw tufts beside the claws.
Diagnosis References
Raven, R.J. 1985. The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and Systematics. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 182(1): 1-180 [Date published December 5, 1985] [79]