Spiders


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

Announcements

Yesterday

It's relatively common for people to upload sightings which may actually contain multiple species.E.g. photos of a plant that may also have captured an insect on one of the leaves OR a photo containin...


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Discussion

HelenCross wrote:
9 Jun 2025
Wow - interesting!

Cryptachaea veruculata
RogerF wrote:
8 Jun 2025
Ectoparasitic wasp larva

Cryptachaea veruculata
kasiaaus wrote:
29 May 2025
I don't know if it is a Morebilus plagusius or a Hemicloea sp. spider. How do you tell them apart?

Unverified Other hunting spider
DiBickers wrote:
27 May 2025
Happy to help @NateKingsford💚

Austracantha minax
NateKingsford wrote:
27 May 2025
Cheers @DiBickers!

Austracantha minax
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