Archaeidae is an amazing spider family whose spiders have extremely elongated necks and long scything jaws. They resemble pelicans and spear prey in a way remininscent of pelicans spearing fish. They are also called Assassin spiders, their prey being other spiders. Several species of Austrarchaea have been described in Australia, from Victoria, WA, and Queensland. Many more undescribed Archaeids have been found in NSW, Queensland, and a single new species from south west WA. In eastern Australia they are usually found in rainforest in low-growing vegetation, leaf litter, or on moss. In Western Australia they are usually found in dense undergrowth in heathland. They are small (but not tiny) spiders with eight eyes, and long legs with a particularly long patella on leg I, usually brown or red-brown in colour. The female genitalia are haplogyne with multiple spermathecae. The palpal organs of mature males are bulbous with a sinuous distal embolus. Males also have a dark dorsal scute on the abdomen. Both males and females usually have prominent knobs on the abdomen. At night they hang upside-down on a single line of silk, waiting for wandering spiders which they impale with their spear-like jaws and grip with rows of peg-like teeth.
Austrarchaea sp? A Queensland Archaeid
This small brown Archaeid is a undescribed but not unknown. Other specimens of this spider have been collected and await further study. All of the Australian Archaeids have been in the genus Austrarchaea, therefore it is reasonable to assume this may also be placed in that genus. 