Paraembolides

Abstract: The family Hexathelidae is newly erected . Three subfamilies are recognized : Plesiothelinae, for th e monotypic Tasmanian genus Plesiothele ; Macrothelinae, confined to Macrothele, Porrhothele and Atrax ; and the Hexathelinae include Hexathele, Scotinoecus, Bymainiella, Paraembolides, gen. nov . and Terania, gen . nov . The synapomorphic character required for group membership is numerou s labial cuspules . Using the size of the anterior lateral spinnerets, the development of megaspines on th e first tibia of males, the paraembolic apophysis, and shape of the labium and other characters, th e evolution of subfamilies, genera and some species is discussed using Hennigian principles . A biogeographic hypothesis is proposed using the vicariance events of Plate Tectonic theory . The sister group o f the Hexathelidae is the Dipluridae, and the sister group of both is the Mecicobothriidae . The subfamil y Ischnothelinae is erected to receive those genera of the traditional Macrothelinae that have no labia l cuspules .