The mygalomorph spider family Nemesiidae Simon 1892 currently includes twelve genera in Australia of which eight are reported from Western Australia. In recent years, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) surveys for proposed mining projects have resulted in unprecedented collections of terrestrial invertebrates in Western Australia. Of particular interest are those taxonomic groups that are potentially threatened by habitat destruction due to their restricted distribution.

A number of male mygalomorph specimens that were collected during a survey for short-range endemic fauna in an area of the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia by Ecologia Environment, could not be attributed to one of the named genera. It is not surprising, that previously unknown genera of mygalomorph spiders are still being found in Western Australia as many remote and varied habitats have not been intensively surveyed.

This study describes two species in a new genus of nemesiid spiders to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809 and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (Darwin 1859).

 Swolnpes darwini is currently only known from the “Tropicana” mining lease in the Great Victoria Desert, Western Australia. The species must currently be considered a short-range endemic after Harvey (2002). All sites where the species was collected comprised sandy or sandy loam or sandy clay soil with vegetation ranging from mallee, mulga or other acacias, and with some Callitris and had Triodia present.

 You can download a copy of the paper here.