Desidae is a family of
spider
Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s, some of which are known as intertidal spiders. The family is named for the genus ''
Desis'', members of which inhabit the
intertidal zone
The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...
. The family has been reevaluated in recent years and now includes inland genera and species as well, such as ''
Badumna'' and ''
Phryganoporus''. In 2017, the family Amphinectidae was merged into Desidae and the family
Toxopidae was separated from it. Those intertidal spiders that are truly marine commonly live in
barnacle
Barnacles are arthropods of the subclass (taxonomy), subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacean, Crustacea. They are related to crabs and lobsters, with similar Nauplius (larva), nauplius larvae. Barnacles are exclusively marine invertebra ...
shells, which they seal up with silk; this allows them to maintain an air bubble during high tide. They emerge at night to feed on various small
arthropod
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
s that live in the intertidal zone.
Distribution
As now
circumscribed, the family Desidae is mainly found in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
and
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
, with some species reaching north to
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
.
''
Metaltella simoni'' has been introduced in a large part of the Southern United States (records exist from
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, and
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
). It is feared that it could
extirpate the native
titanoecid species ''
Titanoeca brunnea''.
Genera
, the
World Spider Catalog
The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature.
The WSC began as a series of ...
accepts the following genera:
*''
Akatorea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Amphinecta''
Simon, 1898 — New Zealand
*''
Austmusia''
Gray, 1983 — Australia
*''
Badumna''
Thorell, 1890 — Oceania, Asia, North America, Uruguay
*''
Baiami''
Lehtinen, 1967 — Australia
*''
Bakala''
Davies, 1990 — Australia
*''
Barahna''
Davies, 2003 — Australia
*''
Buyina''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Calacadia''
Exline, 1960 — Chile
*''
Cambridgea
''Cambridgea'' (common name New Zealand sheetweb spider, bush spider) is a spider genus in the family Desidae and some of the first endemic spiders described from New Zealand. They are known for constructing large horizontal sheet webs measuring ...
''
L. Koch, 1872 — New Zealand
*''
Canala''
Gray, 1992 — New Caledonia
*''
Cedicoides''
Charitonov, 1946 — Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
*''
Cedicus''
Simon, 1875 — Asia
*''
Cicirra''
Simon, 1886 — Australia
*''
Colcarteria''
Gray, 1992 — Australia
*''
Corasoides''
Butler, 1929 — Papua New Guinea, Australia
*''
Cunnawarra''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Desis''
Walckenaer, 1837 — Africa, Ecuador, Asia, Oceania
*''
Dunstanoides''
Forster & Wilton, 1989 — New Zealand
*''
Epimecinus''
Simon, 1908 — Australia
*''
Forsterina''
Lehtinen, 1967 — Australia
*''
Goyenia''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Helsonia''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Holomamoea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Huara
Huara is a Chilean town and Communes of Chile, commune in Tamarugal Province, Tarapacá Region. It is located or ( by road) northeast of Iquique. The village is crossed by the Pan-American Highway and is the crossing point for the road that goes ...
''
Forster, 1964 — New Zealand
*''
Ischalea''
L. Koch, 1872 — Madagascar, Mauritius, New Zealand
*''
Jalkaraburra''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Keera''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Lathyarcha''
Simon, 1908 — Australia
*''
Magua''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Makora''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Mamoea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Mangareia''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Maniho''
Marples, 1959 — New Zealand
*''
Manjala''
Davies, 1990 — Australia
*''
Matachia''
Dalmas, 1917 — New Zealand
*''
Mesudus''
Özdikmen, 2007 — New Zealand
*''
Metaltella''
Mello-Leitão, 1931 — South America, North America
*''
Namandia''
Lehtinen, 1967 — Australia
*''
Nanocambridgea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Neororea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Notomatachia''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Nuisiana''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Oparara''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Panoa''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Paracedicus''
Fet, 1993 — Asia
*''
Paramamoea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Paramatachia''
Dalmas, 1918 — Australia
*''
Penaoola''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Phryganoporus''
Simon, 1908 — Australia
*''
Pitonga''
Davies, 1984 — Northern Australia
*''
Poaka''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Porteria''
Simon, 1904 — Chile
*''
Quemusia''
Davies, 1998 — Australia
*''
Rangitata''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Rapua''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Reinga''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Rorea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
*''
Syrorisa''
Simon, 1908 — Australia
*''
Tanganoides''
Davies, 2005 — Australia
*''
Taurongia''
Hogg, 1901 — Australia
*''
Tuakana''
Forster, 1970 — New Zealand
*''
Waterea''
Forster & Wilton, 1973 — New Zealand
See also
*
List of Desidae species
References
External links
{{Authority control
Araneomorphae families