The name is derived from Latin pro ("before"), and the genus name Gradungula, referring to the ancient ancestry of the genus. It is the first discovered web-building cribellate spider in a "primitive" araneomorph spider family and helped establish the idea that all araneomorph spiders evolved from cribellate ancestors.[3]
These spiders have an uncommon web-making technique and prey-capturing behaviour. A small (approximately 25 by 6 mm), tilting, ladder-like platform of cribellate capturing silk is supported by an overhead structure of threads linked to the rock walls and consists of two parallel stabilizing silk lines.
^Forster, R. R.; Gray, M. R. (1979). "Progradungula, a new cribellate genus of the spider family Gradungulidae (Araneae)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 27: 1051–1071. doi:10.1071/zo9791051.
