Desis species

Fact Box Species: Desis species (ID by Dr. R. Raven, Qld Mus.) Family: Desidae Body length: female: Unknown male: perhaps 7-10 mm Habitat: Uncertain; the main photo shows a specimen that was found inside a house but the other photos are of another male that was on the bark of a tree foraging or searching for a female at night Toxicity: The toxicity of this spider's venom is unknown but this species probably is not dangerous to humans

The same species? Another view Side view Over its retreat?

The World Spider Catalog in April 2017 listed only one Australian Desis species, Desis kenyonae, which was alleged to be present in Victoria and Tasmania. It is clear from the spider images shown above that there are other (presumably undescibed) Desis species in Australia, and these are not restricted to intertidal habitats. Few studies of the Australian Desis species have been performed so far so little is known about the natural history of any of them except perhaps the ones that have adopted an intertidal habitat.

While the chelicerae of most desid genera point downwards those of Paramatachia and Desis species are porrect, which means they point forwards. This may serve to facilitate movement through small caverties in wood or coral masses.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: None apart from Paramatachia species, although species from several other spider families are superficially similar to this spider.