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

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)

Latest sightings

Tasmanicosa sp. (genus) (Unidentified Tasmanicosa wolf spider) at Yackandandah, VIC by KylieWaldon

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YumiCallaway
NateKingsford
EathanDouglas
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Discussion

KylieWaldon wrote:
4 Dec 2024
Yeah its a beautiful pattern, though the legs are quite chunky!
Tasmanicosa sp. (genus)
NateKingsford wrote:
3 Dec 2024
Of course! This one is a relatively easy one to ID due to the "union jack" on the cephalothorax (head). Gorgeous looking spiders they are
Tasmanicosa sp. (genus)
KylieWaldon wrote:
3 Dec 2024
wow. TY @NateKingsford for that quick ID. I'd only had time to look up "wolf spider" and found you'd already named it. TY :)
Tasmanicosa sp. (genus)
KylieWaldon wrote:
2 Dec 2024
TY WendyEM. Yeah that does look like them! :)
Unidentified Other hunting spider
WendyEM wrote:
25 Nov 2024
it looks somewhat like Cetratus rupropunctatus https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2181
these are probably juveniles being small and together
Unidentified Other hunting spider

Recent activity

Tasmanicosa sp. (genus) at Yackandandah, VIC

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