Plesiothele is a monotypic genus of Australian funnel-web spiders containing the single species, Plesiothele fentoni,[2] also known as Lake Fenton trapdoor spider.[3] The genus was first described by Robert John Raven in 1978,[1] and has only been found in Tasmania, Australia.[2][3] Originally placed with the curtain web spiders, it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980.[4]
| Plesiothele | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Hexathelidae |
| Genus: | Plesiothele Raven, 1978[1] |
| Species: | P. fentoni
|
| Binomial name | |
| Plesiothele fentoni (Hickman, 1936)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hexathele fentoni Hickman, 1936 | |
Plesiothele fentoni is a ground-dwelling spider that lives in lidless, silk-lined burrows some 5 cm (2.0 in) deep. It grows to 15 mm (0.6 in) in length. The abdomen is yellow-brown and strongly patterned.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Raven, R. J. (1978). "Systematics of the spider subfamily Hexathelinae (Dipluridae: Mygalomorphae: Arachnida)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 65 (Suppl): 1–75.
- ^ a b "Gen. Plesiothele Raven, 1978". World Spider Catalog. Version 25.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Threatened Species Section (2024). "Lake Fenton Trapdoor Spider (Plesiothele fentoni): Species Management Profile for Tasmania's Threatened Species Link". Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Raven, R. J. (1980). "The evolution and biogeography of the mygalomorph spider family Hexathelidae (Araneae, Chelicerata)". Journal of Arachnology. 8: 256.