Spiders
Spider field guide
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
- A good introduction: http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/allies/araneae.html
- All about Australian spiders: http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2409
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Morebilus plagusius (Major Flatrock Spider)
Mygalomorphae (infraorder) (Unidentified mygalomorph spider)
Myrmarachne erythrocephala (Ant-mimic jumping spider)
Myrmarachne luctuosa (Polyrachis Ant Mimic Spider)
Myrmarachne sp. (genus) (Unidentified Ant-mimic jumping spider)
Namandia sp. (genus) (Long-jawed Desid)
Neon australis (Australian Neon)
Neosparassus calligaster (Beautiful Badge Huntsman)
Neosparassus patellatus (Tasmanian Badge Huntsman)
Neosparassus sp. (genus) (Unidentified Badge huntsman)
Nephila pilipes (Giant Golden Orb-Weaving Spider)
Nephila plumipes (Humped golden orb-weaver)
Nephila sp. (genus) (Golden Orb Weaver)
Nicodamidae (family) (Red and Black Spider)
Nicodamus peregrinus (Common Red and black spider)
Novakiella trituberculosa (Common Novakiella)
Nuliodon fishburni (Fishburn's Prowling Coastal Hunter)
Nyssus albopunctatus (White-spotted swift spider)
Nyssus coloripes (Spotted Ground Swift Spider)
