Systematics of the spider subfamily Hexathelinae (Dipluridae : Mygalomorphae : Arachnida)

Abstract

Two new genera, Plesiothele and Bymainiella, are erected to receive all the Australian species of the subfamily Hexathelinae, which now comprises four genera, including Hexathele with 20 species from New Zealand, and Scotinoecus with two species from South America. Plesiothele is a monotypic Tasmanian genus, type-species Hexathele fentoni Hickman, 1936. Bymainiella comprises 12 new species: B. boycei, B. boydi, B. brindabella, B. cannoni, B. grayi, B. lugubris, B. monteithi, B. montisbossi, B. otwayensis, B. polesoni, B. tubrabucca and B. variabilis; also B. montana (Hickman, 1927), and B. terraereginae (Raven, 1976), the latter being the type-species. The typespecies of Scotinoecus, S. cinereopilosus, is redescribed, and keys to the genera of the subfamily Hexathelinae, and to the Bymainiella species, are given. Two new indices are introduced to overcome the problem of bilateral variability. Bymainiella is believed to be the sister group of Scotinoecus.