Net-casting spider

Fact Box Species: Deinopis ravida (RM, Platnick) Previous species name: Dinopis ravidus Family: Deinopidae formerly Dinopidae Body length: female: 18 mm male: 14 mm Habitat: On a few strands of web in green shrubbery or on vertical external surfaces such as house walls and doors, the spider forming an X shape Toxicity: Unknown; this species shows minimal aggressive towards humans and its venom is not thought to be significantly toxic to large animals

Eye pattern Side view With net in place The male?

The presence of a pair of very large eyes that face forwards and long, slender legs that at rest are aligned in pairs to form an X are features of this and other Deinopis species. It is not too difficult to find a specimen with the characteristic net attached to its legs. Alternatively, abandoned nets are sometimes found where deinopids are common.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Deinopis subrufa. Note that D. ravida has a very similar appearance to D. subrufa and there appears to be some uncertainty that they are indeed separate species. However, at the present time they are listed as different species in Platnick's World Spider Catalog.