Holarchaea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holarchaea |
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| Holarchaea species from New Zealand, possibly Holarchaea novaeseelandiae | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Anapidae |
| Genus: | Holarchaea Forster, 1955 |
| Type species | |
| H. novaeseelandiae (Forster, 1949)
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Holarchaea is a special group of tiny spiders. They live in the South Pacific region. These spiders belong to a family called Anapidae. A scientist named Raymond Robert Forster first described them in 1955.
As of 2019, there are only two known types, or species, of Holarchaea. These are H. globosa and H. novaeseelandiae. However, there might be more types of these spiders in New Zealand that scientists haven't found yet!
About Holarchaea Spiders
What They Look Like
Holarchaea spiders are very small. They grow up to about 1.5 millimeters long. That's shorter than a grain of rice! Their bodies can be shiny black or a light beige color.
One very interesting fact about these spiders is that they do not have venom glands. Most spiders use venom to catch their food. Holarchaea spiders are one of the few types that do not have this ability.
Where They Live
These tiny spiders are only found in the forests of Tasmania (an island in Australia) and New Zealand. They like to live in places that are very humid. This means they prefer damp spots in the forest. They can be found in many small, damp areas within these forests.
Family History
When Holarchaea spiders were first discovered, scientists thought they were related to "assassin spiders" (family Archaeidae). But in 1984, they were moved to their own special family called Holarchaeidae. Later, in 2017, scientists decided that Holarchaeidae was actually part of the Anapidae family. So, now they are officially part of the Anapidae family.
