Other Orb Web Spiders
FAMILY ARANEIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Orb Web Spiders (Family Araneidae, formerly Argiopidae) that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- We group those others genes of Orb Web Spiders in this page.
- Scorpion-tailed Spider
- Arachnura higginsi (A. higginsii), body length 20mm
- We some time find this Scorpion-tailed Spider in our back yard. It is golden yellow in colour. Its abdomen is long and slender, like a scorpion. Like most other members in this family, it build circuit web. It stay at the middle of the web in day and night. More information click this page.
- Leaf Curling Spider
- Phonognatha graeffei., body length female 12mm, male 6mm
- The Leaf Curling Spiders build web. They always build a retreat on the upper side of their web. Usually they build the retreat by a dry leaf. They stay inside their retreat, put their forelegs on their web and sense if any prey come into their web. They are brown in colour with white marking on their abdomen. More information and picture please click here.
- Messy Leaf Curling Spider
- Deliochus zelivira, female body length 12mm, male body length 6mm
- This spider builds large messy retreat by curling a few green and dry leaves bound together by silks. Male and female can be found in the same retreat during breeding season. More information can be found in this page.
- Green Leaf Curling Spider
- Deliochus pulcher ?, female body length 12mm, male body length 6mm
- Pictures were taken in Daisy Hills on Sep 2008. This spider builds messy retreat by curling a green leaf with silks. Please check this page for more information.
- Tree-stump Spider
- Poltys illepidus, body length 15mm
- This is a large web weaving spider with round button shape abdomen which overhangs and covers the head and throax. The surface of the abdomen has the very rough texture, brown in colour. This spiders build large vertical orb web at night. They pack-up and consume the web after used, hide on the tree during the day. Please also check this page.
- Gall-mimicking Spider
- Poltys stygius (P. microtuberculatus), body length 15mm
- This is a large web weaving spider mimics gall on tree. It has round button shape abdomen which overhangs and covers the head and throax. The surface of the abdomen has the very rough bark-looking texture, brown in colour. Please check this page for more information.
- Two-spined Spider
- Poecilopachys australasia, body size 8mm
- Two-spined Spiders build orb webs at night but hide under leaves during day time. They are not easy to find. Their body is brown with a yellow stripe. There is two white spines at the back look like eyes. This spider state in our garden for the whole summer.
- Jewel Spider, Spiny Spider
- Austracantha minax (was Gasteracantha minax), Body length 12mm
- Jewel Spiders are also known as Six Spined Spider, Christmas Spiders and Spiny Spiders. They can be found during summer, around Christmas time in Brisbane. Their abdomen has bright yellow and white patterns on black back ground. They build vertical orb web about one meter about ground and one meter in diameter. More information and pictures please click here.
- Four-spined Jewel Spider
- Gasteracantha quadrispinosa, body width 15mm
- The spider has two spins on each side. It is bright orange yellow in colour with the spins from dark red to black. Its head and legs are mostly shiny black in colour. Please check this page for more information.
- Bird-dropping Spider
- Celaenia excavata (C. kinbergii ), body length 15mm
- You may think this is a bird-dropping, actually it is a spider. It sits motionlessly on the leaf on day time and active at night. It catch moths that fly to them. It is believe that they give off a sent which attracts a particular species of male moths. They are dirty white, grey and black in colour. We have details discussions on this spider..
- Reference:
- 1. A Guide to Australian Spiders - Densey Clyne, Melbourne, Nelson 1969, p64.
- 2. FAMILY Araneidae Simon, 1895 - Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University,
- 3. ARANEIDAE Orb or wheel weavers - Save Our Waterways Now.
- 4. Spiders - genus Eriophora - lifeunseen.com, by Nick Monaghan, 2007.
[ Up ] [ Genus Eriophora ] [ Genus Dolophones ] [ Genus Cyclosa ] [ Genus Cyrtophora ] [ Genus Argiope ] [ Triangular Spiders ] [ Other Orb Web Spiders ] [ Unknown Spiders ] - 1. A Guide to Australian Spiders - Densey Clyne, Melbourne, Nelson 1969, p64.
