Tartarus (spider)

Tartarus is a genus of spiders in the family Stiphidiidae.^[1] All four described species are found in cave systems of Western Australia.^[2] These are located in the karst area of the Nullarbor Plain. They are likely relict species from a time when the region was much more humid, given the fact that the other members of the family Stiphidiidae in Southern Australia live in forests.

Tartarus
Tartarus mullamullangensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Stiphidiidae
Genus:	Tartarus Gray, 1973
Species
See text
Diversity
4 species

Names

The genus name is derived from Tartarus, a place in the underworld of Greek mythology, even lower than Hades. All four species take their common names, and the specific epithet, from the caves in which they were first collected.

Tartarus murdochensis and Tartarus thampannensis are both commonly called Murdoch sink cave spider, Tartarus nurinensis is also known as the Nurina cave spider.

Species

• Tartarus mullamullangensis Gray, 1973
• Tartarus murdochensis Gray, 1992
• Tartarus nurinensis Gray, 1992
• Tartarus thampannensis Gray, 1992