Gradungulidae
| Large-clawed spiders | |
|---|---|
| Gradungula sorenseni, male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Gradungulidae Forster, 1955 |
| Diversity | |
| 7 genera, 16 species | |
Gradungulidae, also known as large-clawed spiders, is a spider family endemic to Australia and New Zealand. They are medium to large-sized haplogyne spiders with three claws and two pairs of book-lungs similar to Mygalomorphae. Some species build extensive webs with an upper retreat tangle and connecting threads to scaffolding. This supports the ladder-like catching platform that is glued to the ground. Hickmania, Progradungula (a large spider with long legs like Hickmania,), and Macrogradungula are the only cribellate genera of the family.