Family PARARCHAEIDAE Forster & Platnick, 1984
Compiler and date details
Valerie Todd Davies (including the Lycosidae by R.J. McKay), Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Introduction
The Pararchaeidae are found in Australia and New Zealand, where they have been found in leaf litter, under stones and under tree bark. Although they are more commonly found in moist habitats in the heavily forested regions, some species occur in drier areas. Tiny, 3-clawed, entelegyne spiders with relatively long chelicerae, the bases of which are encircled by the carapace, thus separating them from the rest of the mouthparts. Viewed laterally, carapace square or rhomboid. Fang short. Row of peg teeth on distal promargin of chelicerae. Tarsi longer than metatarsi. Anterior book-lungs; median posterior spiracle just in front of spinnerets, tracheal tubes to abdomen. Conical colulus. One trichobothrium on metatarsi, none on tarsi. No onychium. Female palp without claw. Male palp with paracymbium. Pararchaea is found in open forest and rainforest litter in eastern Australia.
Diagnosis
Tiny to small (1–4mm) litter spiders. Cephalothorax raised at front; caput demarcated, extremely raised. 8 eyes; clypeus curved around the chelicerae on which the promargin has 3 or more peg-teeth; retromargin edentate; stridulatory organ in males lateral or lateroventral; peg teeth anteriorly. Maxillae. About as long as wide; convergent, or triangular. Labium fused to sternum. Sternum joined to cephalothorax by intercoxal sclerites between coxae or with margin produced only between coxae. Pedicel entirely sclerotised and inserted at ventral scutum. Spinnerets encircled by incomplete sclerotised ring. Tarsi about twice as long as metatarsi; palp on female present. 3 claws.