The first Palaeozoic spider (Arachnida: Araneae) from Germany

Abstract

The first Palaeozoic spider (Arachnida: Araneae) from Germany is described as Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki sp. nov. and comes from the late Carboniferous (Moscovian) strata of Piesberg near Osnabrück in Lower Saxony. Characteristic for the genus, the new fossil reveals a posteriorly tuberculate dorsal opisthosoma, and relatively elongate and setose legs in which the first leg is longer than the second and third legs. Spinnerets are also preserved, confirming its status as a genuine spider rather than being part of an extinct spider-like arachnid lineage. Carboniferous spiders in general are rather rare. While modern spiders are a megadiverse group, the published fossil record suggests they were only moderately diverse in the late Carboniferous compared to other Coal Measures arachnids. Part of the explanation must be that major radiations within Araneae occurred later, probably during the Mesozoic. If the lifestyle of the Carboniferous fossils was similar to that of modern mesothele spiders their rarity as fossils might also relate to them spending much of their lives in burrows, or similar retreats, with limited opportunities for preservation.