Tartarus (spider)
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Tartarus is a genus of spiders. All four described species are found in cave systems of the Nullarbor Plain of Western Australia. They are likely relict species from the time when the region was much more humid, given the fact that closely related spiders from Southern Australia live in forests.
[edit] Names
The genus name is derived from Tartarus, a place in the underworld of Greek mythology, even lower than Hades.
T. murdochensis and T. thampannensis are both commonly called Murdoch sink cave spider, T. nurinensis is also known as the Nurina cave spider.
[edit] Species
- Tartarus mullamullangensis Gray, 1973 (Western Australia)
- Tartarus murdochensis Gray, 1992 (Western Australia)
- Tartarus nurinensis Gray, 1992 (Western Australia)
- Tartarus thampannensis Gray, 1992 (Western Australia)
