Hickmania

Hickmania is a monotypic genus of Australian cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Gradungulidae, containing only the Tasmanian cave spider (Hickmania troglodytes). The genus was first described by Willis J. Gertsch in 1958, and has been found only in Tasmania. It is the last of an old Gondwanan lineage, long since separated from its closest relatives in South America. It is an icon species for faunal conservation in Tasmania, and is named in honor of V. V. Hickman, a professor at the University of Tasmania, who specialized in spiders. The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek τρωγλοδύτης (troglodytes), meaning "cave-dweller".