Taxonomy and Natural History of the Funnel-Web Spider Genus Macrothele (Araneae : Hexathelidae : Macrothelinae) in the Ryukyu Islands (Japan) and Taiwan

Abstract

The distribution of the funnel-web spider genus Macrothele was studied in the Ryukyu Islands and northern Taiwan. Six species are recognized, three of which are only known from Taiwan (Macrothele holsti Pocock, 1901, M. simplicata (Saito, 1933), and M. taiwanensis sp. n.). Three new species are described from Amami-oshima and Tokunoshima in the northern Ryukyus (M. amamiensis sp. n.) and from Ishigaki and Iriomote of the Yaeyama Islands (M. yaginumai sp. n. and M. gigas sp. n.).