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

References

External links

{{Authority control Araneomorphae families

Distribution

Genera

See also

References

External links