Kangaroo Island (KI) is home to two incredible lineages of spiders with fascinating evolutionary histories.
Moggridgea rainbowi is a pygmy trapdoor spider whose closest relatives are in Africa, and there is evidence that this species has undergone transoceanic dispersal (of about 10,000 Km) to colonise KI. Meanwhile, the KI assassin spider
Zephyrarchaea austini is specialized in hunting other spiders, and belongs to a genus only known from the southern edge of Australia, where this species is the only representative from South Australia. These two species were severely affected by recent bushfires, and there is an urgent need for targeted surveys and studies focusing on the natural history and general biology of these unique KI endemics. The student on this project (honours or Masters) will be involved in one of these studies, playing an important role in protecting
M. rainbowi and
Z. austini from the threat of extinction.
Dr Jessica Marsh
