|
| |
- They are commonly called Comb-Footed Spiders. Usually they build tangled webs
under stones, between very close tree trunks, against fences or walls.
-
-
- The spiders in this family are usually small in size. The distinguishing feature of this family
is the row of spines on the tip of the fourth legs, which are used to comb out
wide swathes of silk to entangle their prey. Their eyes are in two rows of four.
-
-
-
Grey
House Spider
- Achaearanea tepidariorum, body length 7mm
- This spider builds untidy tangled webs near the wall and amongst the trees.
The web may include a curled leaf as a retreat. The body shape looks like a
Red-back Spider but different in colours. This spider is mottled cream-brown and the legs are red-brown. More
information can be found on this page.
-
-
- Diamond Comb-footed Spider
- Achaearanea veruculata, body length 4mm
- We sometimes found this small spider with tangled webs on plants in our
backyard. The Diamond Comb-Footed
Spiders are common in Brisbane Eucalypt forest. They usually build tangled
webs between large but very close smooth-bark gum tree trunks. They are grey
to reddish-brown in colour with a diamond pattern on the abdomen. We have more
information and pictures in this page.
-
-
- Comb-footed Platform Spider
- Achaearanea mundula, body length female 7mm, male 4mm
- The Comb-footed Platform Spiders are common in Brisbane
eucalypt forest. They are
dark reddish-brown in colour with pale patterns on the
abdomen. They build tangled
webs between large but very close smooth-bark gum tree trunks. There is
always the curled leaf or pieces of debris as retreat at the middle of the
tangle web. Please also check this page.
-
-
- Red Back Spider
 
- Latrodectus hasselti, body length female 7mm
- Body and legs are shiny black, with a distinct red stripe on the back and
the red time-bottle mark (small photo) on the bottom of their abdomen. Red Back
spiders build a tangled web on the wall, rubbish and old furniture in the
garden. They like afternoon sunshine so they are found mostly on the western
side of the garden. They have a very bad name in Australia because their bite
is known to be fatal. Since the invention of the anti-venom twenty years ago,
no one has been killed. However, they bring a lot of business to the pest
control company. Most of my friends will call pest control company immediately
once they find the Red Back in their garden. To read more information on Red Back Spiders, the symptoms of Red Back Spider bite
and how to control Red Back Spiders, please click on here.
-
-
- Green-yellow Comb-footed Spider
- Theridion sp., leg to leg 20mm
- We saw this Green-yellow Comb-footed Spider once in Daisy Hills Sep 2008.
We found two spiders together in a tangled web on a small plant. The two
spiders had the same patterns on their abdomen, the large one is green and the
smaller one is yellow in colours. As a general rule, we thought the smaller on
was the male visiting a female in her web. Check this page
for more information.
-
-
- Neon Spider
 - Thwaitesia nigronodosa. leg to leg 30mm
- This spider build tangled web on wattle leaf. The spider has
large silver abdomen with brown-red patterns. On the top there are four black
dots, mimic the head of larger spider species. More pictures and information
can be found in this page.
-
-
- Dewdrop spider
 - Argyrodes antipodianus, body length female 3mm, male
2mm
- This is a small size spider. They do not build their own web. They live on
the edges of large orb web built by other large spiders, such as the Golden
Orb Web Spider. The small spider camouflages as a dewdrop. The abdomen
is silver in colour. When resting on the silks of large spider's web, they
look like a large dewdrop reflecting sun light. More information can be
found in this page.
-
-
- Rainbow's Comb-Footed Spider
 - Argyrodes rainbowi, body length 5mm
- Found this spiders once in Karawatha Forest near the Lagoon. Please also
check this page.
-
-
- Pyramid Comb-Footed Spider
 - Argyrodes fissifrons ?, body length 5mm
- This spider has the elongated body, triangular shape in profile. When
rest, the spider point its three pair of legs towards the front. We
have more information and pictures about this spider in this page.
-
-
- Tent-tenant Spider
 - Argyrodes sp., body length 10mm, male
- This male was found on the edge of a Russian
Tent Spider's web. It was found on Nov 2009 in Boondall Wetlands. The
spider is bright orange in colours with white patterns on abdomen.
 
 - Body length 15mm, female
- Found this spider on the edge of the Tent
Spider's web. It was also found on Nov 2009 in Boondall Wetlands. From
the reference this spider's egg-sac is also in brighr orange colour.
-
-
- Long Comb-Footed Spider
 - Argyrodes sp. ?, body length 10mm
- This spider has the typical body shape of a comb-footed spider in genus Argyrodes
but with the even longer abdomen. It body is reddish brown to dark brown
in colour. As other comb-footed spiders, it builds tangled web. Check this page
for more information.
-
-
- Whip Spider
- Ariamnes colubrinus (Argyrodes colubrinus), body length 30mm
- This spiders are common in garden and bushes but not easily seen. The body is thin and
long. The spider has relatively short legs and elongated abdomen. At night it hangs on
one or two dry silk between plants. It is believed that this spider trap the
other species of male spiders for living. At day time it camouflages itself as small broken
branch caught on spider silk. Please check this page
for more information.
-
-
- Tick Spider
 - Euryopis superba, body length 8mm
- The spider is dark grey to black in colour with short orange colour legs.
It body shape maeks it looks like a tick.
 - This spider build messy web under loose gum tree bark. Its web was easy to
be recognized for there are many prey body remains attached to the messy
web. From those body remains the spider's main prey were black ants and gum
tree bug nymphs. Under the back there were many different size egg-sacs. We
found even a moult-skin of the spider.
- Reference:
- 1. Australian Spiders in colour - Ramon Mascord, Reed Books Pty Ltd,
1970, p64.
- 2. Euryopis
superba - The Find-a-spider Guide for the Spiders of
Southern Queensland, Dr Ron Atkinson, 2009.
- Reference:
- 1. A Guide to Australian Spiders - Densey Clyne, Melbourne, Nelson
1969, p62.
- 2. Australian Spiders in colour - Ramon Mascord, Reed Books Pty Ltd,
1970, p62.
- 3. Theridiidae
- The Find-a-spider Guide for the Spiders of
Southern Queensland, Dr Ron Atkinson, 2009.
- 4. THERIDIIDAE
Comb-footed Spiders - Robert Whyte, Save Our Waterways Now.
Back to top
[ Up ] [ Spider Scientific Facts ] [ How spider builds its web ? ] [ Nephilid Spiders ] [ Long-jawed Orb Weavers ] [ Lace Wed Spiders ] [ Daddy Long-leg Spiders ] [ Comb-Footed Spiders ] [ Net-casting Spiders ] [ Uloborid spiders ] [ Unknown Spiders ]
| |
|
