It had been thought to be an ancient Gondwanan lineage, long since separated from its closest relatives in South America in the family Austrochilidae[3], but more recent data show it belongs to the Australia–New Zealand family Gradungulidae.

The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek τρωγλοδύτης (troglodytes), meaning "cave-dweller".

These primitive spiders use book lungs to breathe, seen as four light patches beneath the abdomen.

[6] Tasmanian cave spiders are widely distributed throughout Tasmania, found in many dark, cool areas, including underground drainage and cave systems, the underside of bridges, and inside hollow logs.

[3] They have an unusually long lifetime for araneomorph spiders, sometimes living several decades.