Spiders of this genus are fairly large, with females of some Chinese species ranging from 1 to 3 centimetres (0.4 to 1.2 in) in body length. Males are smaller, sometimes only half that length.[4] Macrothelids can be distinguished from other
mygalomorph spiders by their larger posterior
sigillae on the
sternum, and the arrangement of the rows of teeth on the margin of the
chelicerae: larger front-facing margin and smaller rear-facing.[5]
These spiders build tube-webs or funnel-webs under rocks or logs, or in crevices in the ground.[4]
Taxonomy
The genus Macrothele was erected by
Anton Ausserer in 1871, with the
type species being Macrothele calpeiana, formerly Mygale calpeiana.[1][citation needed] Ausserer placed the genus in the then very broadly defined family
Theraphosidae. It was later placed in the
Dipluridae and the
Hexathelidae before being transferred to the Macrothelidae in 2018.[1] A
molecular phylogenetic study in 2018 suggested that Macrothele was a distinct, early diverging lineage within the Mygalomorphae. Accordingly, Simon's subfamily Macrothelinae was elevated to the family Macrothelidae. There is some doubt if the western and eastern species should be grouped in the same genus.[6]
The following
cladogram shows the possible relationship of Macrothele to related taxa:[5]
^Drolshagen, B. (2017). "Orientothele Mirza, Sanap & Kunte, 2017 is a junior synonym of Macrothele Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae: Hexathelidae)". Arachnology. 17 (6): 282.
doi:
10.13156/arac.2017.17.6.282.
S2CID89984804.
^Ausserer, A. (1871). "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Arachniden-Familie der Territelariae Thorell (Mygalidae Autor)". Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 21: 117–224.