This is a very curious beastie. While it is a Trochanteriid, when it was undescribed it was referred to by a hybrid genus nickname Desognaphosa meaning a cross between Desidae and Gnaphosidae -- two other families. It is unusual for a Trochanteriid, in that it has rather normal features which in Trochanteriidae are usually abnormal. for example, it has normal, not elongated trochanters, diagnostic for many and where the family gets its name. I did the World Science Festival with Robert Raven on the weekend. We had Dolomedes briangreenei on display in his goldfish bowl. Children by the hundreds streaming through all day. They love picking through trays of beatings and leaf litter. They have very sharp eyes and nimble little fingers. And no fear. There were some very large Golden Orbs they all played with crawling over their arms and they only screamed when they climbed onto the neck. It was a clinic for curing arachnophobia. Initially petrified, all children and even their parents were soon very comfortable and had completely lost their fear. As a thankyou for my help Robert Raven gave me this rare and never-photographed-alive spider for my book. And here it is. about 5mm body length.
