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}}Spelungula is a genus of spiders in the family Gradungulidae. The genus has only one species, Spelungula cavernicola,[ or the Nelson cave spider, which is endemic to New Zealand. As the name suggests, it is restricted to in caves in the north western area of the South Island[1]. It is New Zealand's largest known spider in terms of leg span (13 –15 cm)[2][6] and it has a body length of {{convert|2.4|cm|in}}.]
It is one of only a small number of spiders species afforded legal protected under the New Zealand Wildlife Act.[3][4] It is classed as "Range Restricted" and stable in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[5] Its main prey is cave weta.[6]
See also
References
1. ^{{Cite journal|last=Sirvid|first=P. J.|last2=Vink|first2=C. J.|last3=Wakelin|first3=M. D.|last4=Fitzgerald|first4=B. M.|last5=Hitchmough|first5=R. A.|last6=Stringer|first6=I. A.N.|date=2012|title=The conservation status of New Zealand Araneae|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00779962.2012.686310|journal=New Zealand Entomologist|language=en|volume=35|issue=2|pages=85–90|doi=10.1080/00779962.2012.686310|issn=0077-9962}}
2. ^{{Cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28811/nelson-cave-spider|title=Nelson cave spider|last=McLachlan|first=Andrew|last2=Taonga|first2=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|website=www.teara.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=2016-05-29}}
3. ^{{cite journal|last=Faulls|first=D.|year=1991|title=Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude|journal=New Zealand Geographic|issue=10|pages=68–96}}
4. ^Wildlife Act - Schedule 7Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates declared to be animals
5. ^{{cite web |last=Molloy |first=Janice |last2=Bell |first2=B. |last3=Clout |first3=M. |last4=de |first4=Lange P. |last5=Gibbs |first5=G. |last6=Given |first6=D. |last7=Norton |first7=D. |last8=Smith |first8=N. |last9=Stephens |first9=T. |title = Classifying species according to threat of extinction. A system for New Zealand |publisher=Department of Conservation (New Zealand) |year=2002 |url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/TSOP22.pdf |accessdate=2008-02-29 }}
6. ^1 {{Cite web|url=http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Topic/9432|title=Topic: Nelson cave spider {{!}} Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz|access-date=2016-05-28}}