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Plesiothele
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Hexathelidae
Genus:	Plesiothele Raven, 1978
Species:	P. fentoni
Binomial name
Plesiothele fentoni (Hickman, 1936)
Synonyms
Hexathele fentoni Hickman, 1936

Plesiothele is a monotypic genus of Australian funnel-web spiders containing the single species, Plesiothele fentoni, also known as Lake Fenton trapdoor spider. The genus was first described by Robert John Raven in 1978, and has only been found in Tasmania, Australia. Originally placed with the curtain web spiders, it was moved to the Hexathelidae in 1980.

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.

References

1. ^ Raven, R. J. (1978). "Systematics of the spider subfamily Hexathelinae (Dipluridae: Mygalomorphae: Arachnida)". Australian Journal of Zoology. 65 (Suppl): 1–75.
2. ^ "Gen. Plesiothele Raven, 1978". World Spider Catalog. Version 25.0. Natural History Museum Bern. 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
3. ^ 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.
4. Raven, R. J. (1980). "The evolution and biogeography of the mygalomorph spider family Hexathelidae (Araneae, Chelicerata)". Journal of Arachnology. 8: 256.

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• Hexathelidae
• Monotypic Mygalomorphae genera
• Mygalomorphae genera
• Spiders of Australia
• Arthropods of Tasmania
• Endemic fauna of Tasmania
• Taxa named by Robert Raven
• Avicularioidea stubs