Teyl

Teyl is a genus of nemesiid spiders with four described (and many undescribed) species, all of which are endemic to Australia. It is one of four genera of the tribe Teylini.^[1] The type species is T. luculentus.

Description

Species of this genus range from 2 to 10 mm in carapace length.

Distribution

The genus occurs in south-western Australia as well as in Eyre Peninsula and western Victoria. Its distribution was likely fragmented in southern Australia during the Cretaceous inundation of central Australia, the radiation of the genus in south-western Australia has probably resulted from the continuing isolation of relictual habitats which have retained aspects of Gondwanan conditions.^[1]

Species

• Teyl harveyi Main, 2004 — Victoria
• Teyl luculentus Main, 1975 — Western Australia
• Teyl walkeri Main, 2004 — Victoria
• Teyl yeni Main, 2004 — Victoria

Names

The genus name is an Australian Aboriginal word meaning a brightly coloured stone - thus the reference is to the glabrous (shiny) bright texture of the spider's integument. The specific name luculentus of the type species refers to the shining yellowish colour.^[2] T. harvey is named as a tribute to Mark S. Harvey, T. walkeri after Ken Walker, T. yeni after Alan Yen.

Footnotes

References

• Main, B.Y. (1975): The citrine spider; a new genus of trapdoor spider (Mygalomorphae: Dipluridae). The Western Australian Naturalist 13(4): 73-78.
• Main, Barbara York (2004): Biosystematics of Australian mygalomorph spiders: descriptions of three species of Teyl from Victoria (Araneae: Nemesiidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 61(1): 47-55. PDF