Australian Spiders

This page contains details and photos of redback, hunstman, orb weaving, golden orb, jumping, st andrews cross, and web casting spiders that live in our backyard at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales.

Click on thumbnail image to see a larger, higher resolution photo.

Horned Spider

This very small spider with a body of about 2 to 3 mm long, lives in a community. They can usually be seen doing their thing on the outer edges of a larger spider's web. I found this one feeding on a Golden Orb Weaving web.

Horned Spiders are aptly named because of their horn shaped body.

Jumping Spider

This very small spider, usually with a body length from 5 to 10 mm, is a constant hunter. They roam everywhere and can be found on trees or fences, in the garden or buildings. Most of the time they are undetected because of their size and speed of movement.

Jumping spiders are aptly named because of their habit of jumping from one location to another. They are non-aggressive and I sometimes find them on my arms and legs when cleaning up the garden.

Crab Spider

Crab spider's four front legs are noticeably larger and more powerful than the rear four legs. This variety also has a unique V shaped abdomen and is about 8 mm long.

I thought it was watching me when taking the photo, but it had its eyes on another spider that crawled between us just as I clicked the shutter. The second, smaller spider didn't stand a chance when the crab spider suddenly grabbed it.

Grass Spider

I found this little spider crawling along a wall. I probably would not have noticed it if it had not moved.

The spider had a body length of 6 mm and an overall length of approximately 25 mm (1 inch). It also had the longest phalps I've ever seen. I first thought it had ten legs.

Golden Orb Spider

The Golden Orb spider builds a large, vertical web suspended between branches of trees or fence posts. It also has additional threads fore and aft to protect it while sitting in the centre of the web.

Golden Orb spiders have a small body and head compared to their large abdomen. They also have long legs allowing them to move quickly and find cover among the nearby bushes.

Silver Orb Spider

This is a rather pretty spider with light green legs and dark green head. It has a silver-multicoloured abdomen that looks spectacular in the sunlight.

It is another member of the orb weaving family of spiders and builds a 30 to 40 cm circular web usually about half a metre above ground. It can be found in long grass in the bush or among plants in domestic gardens.

Leaf Curl Spider

Leaf curling spiders have similar habits to the hermit crab. That's because they build a home from discarded materials such as leaves, hollow twigs or empty snail shells. Anything that can be suspended on its web to provide shelter and protection is a possibility.

Leaf curling spiders are very timid and prefer to hide in their makeshift home with only two or four legs protruding to feel for any vibrations caused by something being caught in the web.

Net Casting Spider

These spiders weave a small web that resembles a fishing net. They make use of their long legs to cast the net over their prey. The sticky web traps the prey long enough for the spider to move in and make the kill.

Small white droppings can sometimes be seen on leaves or objects below the spider. These are thought to be some sort of alignment markers.

Wolf Spider

Another ground dwelling spider that hunts for food rather than build a web. It has a highly decorative body that makes it easy to identify. The female can often be seen carry a dozen or so young ones on her back.

Wolf spiders can be quite aggressive and will bite if trapped, touched or you tread on one. The Queensland Museum reports that one species of Wolf spider is known to have killed an adult cane toad.

Black House Spider

The common black house spider (also known as the window spider) can be found in almost every type of building. They make use of window frames, awnings, rain water guttering and down-pipe fittings to construct their webs. House spiders happily live along side humans and animals in places where they are not disturbed.

The male has a length of 10-12 mm and the female 16-20 mm. Black house spiders are venomous and should either be completely removed or left alone. Their bite is said to cause nausea, sweating and pain.

Brown Widow Spider

This spider is the same species as the Redback. It is smaller, usually growing to a maximum of 10 mm. The Brown Widow lives in a similar habitat to its cousin, but may also be found in less secure locations in and around the house. It has a unique spiky egg sack.

The Brown Widow is sometimes mistaken for a money spider that is supposed to bring wealth to anyone it crawls upon. Unfortunately, this spider is venomous and its bite is said to cause mild to severe local and generalized pain. According to the Queensland Museum, Redback antivenom is an effective treatment.

Silver Spider

Named after their shiny silver abdomen, these tiny spiders rarely grow more than 2 or 3 millimeters long. Their body is so shiny, it shows up as a fuzzy light ball if I use the camera's flash on them.

The silver spider also lives on another spider's web. I found this one and several like it on an orb weaver's web.

Lynx Spider

I found this little spider crawling along our fence. It was one of the first small spiders I photographed, before I knew how to use the macro (close up) features on my camera.

Lynx spiders come in a variety of colours and can be found roaming almost anywhere in the garden. They look like and are sometimes confused with jumping spiders. This spider had a body length of about 10 mm and an overall length of approximately 20 mm.

Sack Spider

This pair of spiders made their home on one of my cauliflower plants. They help keep the plants free of insects and are known to eat moth and butterfly eggs.

I tried to entice both spiders out of the sac, but the pale one would not move. I assume they are a pair because after I put away my camera, the darker one returned to the sac. It had a body length of approx 8 to 10 mm.

Minax (Jewelled) Spider

This rather pretty little spider has larger spikes on the back of its abdomen. It has made a home for itself among the flowers in my garden.

Jewelled spiders are one of the smaller orb weavers. This one had a body length of about 12 mm.

St Andrews Cross Spider

Named after the way they wait with legs placed in pairs and positioned diagonally at the centre of their web. Additional web is placed diagonally forming a large "cross" two or three times the size of the spider.

It makes the spider look much larger and is probably designed to protect it from birds or other predators. Saint Andrew's Cross spiders are harmless to humans and drop to the ground if disturbed.

Orb Weaving Spider

A hairy spider with a distinctive marked and shaped abdomen. It builds a large 60 to 80cm circular web, two metres above ground. The spider usually hides during the day and repairs or rebuilds its web each night.

Garden Orb spider webs can be found suspended between trees or shrubs where there is hardly any human or animal traffic. Babies from the same nest can vary in colour from red to dark brown. They bite hard and strong, typically causing mild local pain for 30 minutes, atypically 3-4 hours strong pain.

Two Spined Spider

A member of the Enamelled Orb spider family.

One noticeable point of interest is the broad strip in his web that is very similar to the ones constructed by the St Andrew's Cross spider.

The two "horns" or "spines" on the front of the spider's abdomen look like two large eyes.

White Tail Spider

A medium size, all black spider with a white patch at the base of the abdomen. This spider was once included on high toxic list, but recent studies indicate it is not as harmful as first claimed. Its bite is painful and it is one of the few spiders that bites repeatedly.

This spider was found in my workshop; a timber framed garage at the bottom of our yard. They are known to come indoors looking for food and their main diet is other spiders.

Huntsman Spider

Huntsman are known to travel long distances in search of food. They have a very low profile body allowing them to fit under rocks or logs and through narrow crevices. It is not uncommon to see them inside homes or other buildings, running across the ceiling or walls.

Huntsman spiders are very timid and will tried to hide if you get too close. They will bite so leave them alone and let them help control insects in your garden and home.

Brown Tree Spider

A close cousin to the black house spider except they are brown and usually live outside in shrubs, bushes or undergrowth. Their web is also similar in construction with lattice supports and two funnel shaped entrances.

This spider lives in an African Juniper tree in our front yard. There are several of them in those trees as well as other shrubs and hanging basket plants. They hide just inside one of the entrances and quickly run out if anything becomes entangled in the web.

Redback Spider

Australian version of the Black Widow spiders that live in temperate zones around the world. Female Red Backs grow to 12 mm and the male to 3 mm. Red-backs are capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and can live in an empty metal can or under a sheet of iron that is too hot from the sun to touch by hand.

Redbacks are non-aggressive unless threatened and most bites are due to accidental contact. The female with a shiny dark or black body and bright red stripe makes her look as dangerous as she is. Don't poke your fingers into places where you cannot see. 13 fatalities were recorded as due to Redback bites prior to 1980.