Intertidal Spiders and Allies - Family: Desidae
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Over the last few years there has been considerable debate over what spider does or does not belong in the Family: Desidae. As a consequence, much shuffling to and fro of species and genera has taken place and it appears the dust may not quite have settled yet. The World Spider Catalog recognises 63 genera containing 324 species. iNat lists 42 genera into 6 subfamilies leaving 21 genera unplaced. The Desidae are not just 'intertidal spiders' anymore either, quite a few terrestrial spiders are considered part of the family.
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Desidid spiders are most common in Australia, New Zealand and North and South America. Records from elsewhere in the world tend to be concentrated around ports and cities and so may have been accidental introductions.
The best known members of this family are the two House Spiders from the Genus: Badumna. Unfortunately true 'Intertidal Spiders', from the Genus: Desis do not occur in the Northern Rivers although we do have quite a few spiders with aquatic habits. |
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Spiders in this family are medium to large and of robust build. Bright colours are rare, most are brown, grey ,black or a combination thereof. Legs are often banded in the same colours as the spider's body and the abdomen often displays a fairly simple geometric pattern. Many of the webs spun by these spiders are no mare than a tangled mess of strands often with a large opening woven in for the spider to retreat into.
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Unplaced genera
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Forsterina annulipes
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Forsterina segestrina (possible occurrence)
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Forsterina velifera (possible occurrence)
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Lathyarcha inornata
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Manjala plana (likely occurrence)
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Namandia periscelis
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Foliage-webbing Spider - Phryganoporus candidus
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Taurongia punctata (likely occurrence)
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Subfamily: Amphinectinae
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Austmusia wilsoni (possible occurrence)
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Cunnawarra cassisi (likely occurrence)
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Cunnawarra grayi (likely occurrence)
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Magua wiangaree
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Quemusia austrina
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Quemusia cordillera
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Quemusia raveni
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Subfamily: Desinae
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Barahna booloumba
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Barahna toonumbar
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Barahna yeppoon
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Subfamily: Matachiinae
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Black House Spider - Badumna insignis
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Grey House Spider - Badumna longinqua
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Paramatachia decorata
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Twig Spider - Paramatachia tubicola
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Subfamily: Porteriinae
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Australian Labyrinth Spider - Corasoides australis
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Corasoides terrania
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Entelegynea (Entelegyne Spiders)
> Family: Desidae (Intertidal Spiders and Allies)
> Genus: Forsterina
> Species: F. annulipes
> Species: F. segestrina ^
> Species: F. velifera ^
> Genus: Lathyarcha
> Species: L. inornata
> Genus: Manjala
> Species: M. plana *
> Genus: Namandia (Long-jawed Red Desids)
> Species: N. periscelis
> Genus: Phryganoporus (Foliage-webbing Spiders)
> Species: P. candidus - Foliage-webbing Spider
> Genus: Taurongia
> Species: T. punctata *
> Subfamily: Amphinectinae (Amphinectid Spiders)
> Genus: Austmusia
> Species: A. wilsoni ^
> Genus: Cunnawarra
> Species: C. cassisi *
> Species: C. grayi *
> Genus: Magua
> Species: M. wiangaree
> Genus: Quemusia
> Species: Q. austrina
> Species: Q. cordillera
> Species: Q. raveni
> Subfamily: Desinae
> Genus: Barahna
> Species: B. booloumba
> Species: B. toonumbar
> Species: B. yeppoon
> Subfamily: Matachiinae
> Genus: Badumna (House Spiders)
> Species: B. insignis - Black House Spider
> Species: B. longinqua - Grey House Spider
> Genus: Paramatachia
> Species: P. decorata
> Species: P. tubicola - Twig Spider
> Subfamily: Porteriinae
> Genus: Corasoides
> Species: C. australis - Australian Labyrinth Spider
> Species: C. terrania
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
^ Davies, V.T., (1998). 'A revision of the Australian metaltellines (Araneae: Amaurobioidea: Amphinectidae: Metaltellinae).' Invertebrate Taxonomy 12(2): 211-243.
^ Davies, V.T., (2003). 'Barahna, a new spider genus from eastern Australia (Araneae: Amaurobioidea).' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 49: 237-250.
^ Gray, M.R., (1983). 'A new genus of spiders of the subfamily Metaltellinae (Araneae, Amaurobioidea) from southeastern Australia.' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 106: 275-285.
^ Koch, L., (1872). 'Die Arachniden Australiens, nach der Natur beschrieben und abgebildet.' (Erster Teil, Lieferung 3-7). Bauer & Raspe, Nürnberg, 105-368, pl. 8-28.
^ Lehtinen, P.T., (1967). 'Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with notes on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha.' Annales Zoologici Fennici 4: 199-468.
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genlist/26/Desidae
^ Davies, V.T., (1998). 'A revision of the Australian metaltellines (Araneae: Amaurobioidea: Amphinectidae: Metaltellinae).' Invertebrate Taxonomy 12(2): 211-243.
^ Davies, V.T., (2003). 'Barahna, a new spider genus from eastern Australia (Araneae: Amaurobioidea).' Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 49: 237-250.
^ Gray, M.R., (1983). 'A new genus of spiders of the subfamily Metaltellinae (Araneae, Amaurobioidea) from southeastern Australia.' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 106: 275-285.
^ Koch, L., (1872). 'Die Arachniden Australiens, nach der Natur beschrieben und abgebildet.' (Erster Teil, Lieferung 3-7). Bauer & Raspe, Nürnberg, 105-368, pl. 8-28.
^ Lehtinen, P.T., (1967). 'Classification of the cribellate spiders and some allied families, with notes on the evolution of the suborder Araneomorpha.' Annales Zoologici Fennici 4: 199-468.
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genlist/26/Desidae
Photographic contributions: