Spiders

Spiders

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Tips for submitting spider sightings: 

Photos from various angles are sometimes necessary for specific ID.

  • front (eye arrangement, pedipalp colour)
  • dorsal (above - general colouration, carapace and abdomen patterns)
  • ventral (underneath - especially useful for some of the ground-dwelling families and orb-weaving families)
  • side (further details for general shape, abdomen patterns and eye configuration)
  • back (further details for abdomen pattern).

Comments or photos on the following also provides valuable information if/when such features are applicable and observed...

  • surroundings and location (eg. ground, leaf litter, hand rail, tree trunk)
  • web structure and silk use (eg. orb, messy & tangled, throwing silk)
  • breeding (eg. display, egg sac)
  • behaviour (eg. hunting, interaction, familiarity with people such as the threatening display of a huntsman or the friendly and curious jumping spiders that jump onto the camera lens)
  • notable, unique, exciting or strange observations (eg. spur-like protrusions from legs, camouflage, mimicry)

Please note that the size of the spider is measured by body length.

  • body size is from the top of the cephalothorax (head) to the tip of the abdomen without including the legs.

(Updated: October, 2022. Please feel free to message a spider moderator if you have any queries or suggestions for improvement)

Resources: 

  • Field guide: A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia authored by Robert Whyte & Greg Anderson
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Spiders

Huntsman spiders (Sparassidae)
Jumping or peacock spiders (Salticidae)
Wolf spiders (Lycosidae)
Other hunting spiders
Orb-weaving spiders (several families)
Trapdoor, Funnelweb or Mouse spiders (Mygalomorphae)
Other web-building spiders
Water spiders (Pisauridae)

Moderators

YumiCallaway
NateKingsford
EmmaCollins
EathanDouglas
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Hello NatureMaprs!Three new priority species lists of exotic freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, and vertebrates in the ACT have been added to NatureMapr. Uploading records of these species to N...

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Discussion

NateKingsford wrote:
2 hrs ago
The heavier webbing makes me think more Mygalomorph, however it doesn't rule out Lycosidae
Lycosidae (family)
Hejor1 wrote:
Yesterday
@YumiCallaway yes it was, it was good at staying on the other side of the stick so I couldn't get better pics without disturbing it further
Opisthoncus sp. (genus)
YumiCallaway wrote:
Yesterday
Hi @Hejor1 ! I know it's been a few months now, but would you remember whether these two images are definitely of the same individual?
Opisthoncus sp. (genus)
WendyEM wrote:
13 Mar 2025
It wasn't too many years ago I learnt what these were after wondering for years. Raising things can be tricky. Getting humidity right (so they don't get mouldy or dehydrate) and all sorts of other things. Some critters take days/weeks to hatch/emerge, others can take many months. Don't feel bad you did not succeed 1st go.
Austracantha minax
Mike wrote:
13 Mar 2025
My suggestion of moth pupa was wrong. Nothing hatched from the specimen I kept.
Austracantha minax

Species Richness Score (SRS)

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