Gall-mimicking Spider - Poltys stygius (P. microtuberculatus )

FAMILY ARANEIDAE

This page contains pictures and information about Gall-mimicking Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 15mm

This is a large web weaving spider. The spider mimics gall on tree. It has round button shape abdomen which overhangs and covers the head and thorax. The surface of the abdomen has the very rough bark-looking texture, brown in colour. The spiders are rather variable in abdomen shape and colours. Each individual may look quite different.



The spider active at night. Similar to the Tree-stump Spider, this spider build very large vertical orb web at night. They pack-up and consume the web silks after used, hide on the tree during the day. Adult males are small and do not make webs.



The spiders are cryptically camouflaged. During the day they hide motionless on leaves or stems with the legs drawn tightly around head and showing only its small eyes. They resemble the galls on those plants.



Their major target preys are those night flying moths.


Coccid Galls - The mimic target of the spider.

We found this spider once in Karawatha Forest Rocky Track.

Reference:
1. Spider in Australia - by Ramon Mascord, 1978, p20.
2. A Revision of the Genus Poltys in Australasia (Araneae: Araneidae) - HELEN M. SMITH, Records of the Australian Museum (2006) Vol. 58: 43–96. ISSN 0067-1975.