Orb or Wheel weaving spiders

Family Araneidae

This is the family of spiders that makes the well-known orb-webs and are therefore called orb-weavers or wheel weaving spiders.
This family has recently undergone a lot of changes. The Nephila or golden orb web spiders, the Tetragnathidae or long jawed spiders are now described in their own family.
About 30 genera and 260 species have been recorded in Australia. the large Genus is Eriophora (=Araneus) with 110 species.
Well known spiders in this family are the Argiope or garden or St Andrew's cross spider, the curled leaf spider and the spiny (Christmas) spider.
None of these spiders are venomous to humans.

Genus Arachnura

You do not suspect a spider in this wooly stick hanging in the air. But a closer look reveals the scorpion-tailed spider. The female spider is around 15 mm large and the male is almost invisible and is only 2-3 mm long.The colour differs markedly with age. From pinkish-brown, dark pink-orange-brown and dark-yellow. The upper portion of the wen often lack spirals. spiderlings hatch in early summer. Their body starts triangular and lengthens with every mold. The spider can be found in in all states of Australia. Arachnura higginsi Scorpion-tailed spider



Arachnura higginsi by Wendy Eiby WA	Arachnura higginsi by Wendy Eiby WA

Genus Araneus


Araneus cyphoxis by Wendy Eiby WA	Araneus cyphoxis by Wendy Eiby WA

Araneus cyphoxis by Wendy Eiby WA	Araneus brisbanae Jamberoo NSW (photo by nic van Oudtshoorn)

Eriophora heroine (previous name Araneus heroine)	Araneus ZZ430 by Farhan Bokhari

Araneus ZZ431 by Farhan Bokhari

Genus Arcys

The common name of these spiders is 'ambush' or' triangular' spider.
This triangular spider lives in open forest clearings along the East Coast amongst the foliage of shrubs and captures prey with the first two pairs of their heavily spined legs .

Nine species are described. They do no build a web. They are placed in the same family as the wheel-web weavers because of body structure. The size of the female is about 9 mm, the male is only 5 mm.
The spider can be found on leaves, seed-heads and flowers. The egg-sacs are made in late summer and are spherical and pink-orange of colour.

Arcys ZZ069

Arcys ZZ293

Arcys ZZ452 WA by Wendy Eiby

Genus Argiope

See also Argiopes from: Europe, USA.

This very well known spider is also known under the name 'garden spider'. There are 25 known species in this genus but the most beautiful and spotted one is the Argiope Keyserlingi ( formerly aethera) or 'St Andrew's cross spider' The spiders of this family are easily identified by the zig zag silk construction (stabilimentum), usually a cross, they make in their web. It is believed that the spider uses it to camouflage itself in the cross and to warn birds not to fly through the web. But there are also other hypotheses. Perhaps the most important function of stabilimenta is to attract insects. The silk of the stabilimentum reflects UV light and pollinating insects are lured to these threads. If the spider is attacked it starts shaking vigorously in her web. The whole web becomes white because of the stabilimentum. This frightens of attackers. The web is usually constructed a few decimeters above the ground in tall grass and among shrubs.

Argiope protensa ready to bite in her wrapped prey

Argiope keyserlingi. Female and male. The male is not very beautiful and is only 5 mm. The females measure up to 14 mm.


	The shape of the stabilimentum changes with the age of the spider. First it starts with a circular white web in the center. Later it changes to a cross and when the spider is full-grown only a small zig-zag remains.


Argiope syrmatica webbing its prey.

Argiope syrmatica dorsal site WA	Argiope syrmatica ventral site WA

Argiope extensa	Argiope extensa

Argiope ZZ020	Argiope ZZ077

Argiope ocyaloides by Marie Herbenstein	Argiope radon (Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory)

Argiope ZZ189 male and female (NT)	Argiope radon (Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory)

Argiope protensa WA	Argiope protensa WA

Argiope trifasciata WA	Argiope trifasciata also occurs in Europe. This one is from the Canaries

Argiope ZZ307 Karinji NP WA	Argiope ZZ307 Karinji NP WA

Argiope ZZ371 (ocyaloides?)Karinji NP WA

Genus Austracantha (previous Gasteracantha, mispelled as Astracantha)

These colourful six-spined spiders build a vertical wheel web with 20 - 30 radii and a very close spiral design.

Gasteracantha_minax_F0539 .
Austracantha minax female and male.
The six spined, Christmas or jewel spider or Austracantha minax. The female is about 8 mm long, cream colored with white and black while the male is only 3 mm long and white and black.


Austracantha minax	Austracantha minax with prey by Trevor Murray

Austracantha vittata from above and from below.

Astracantha ZZ372 from NT (photo by Vicki Braddy)

Genus Backobourkia

This is a new described genus.

Backobourkia ZZ449 by Wendy Eiby WA	Backobourkia ZZ449

Genus Cyclosa

Cyclosa_ZZ084_RF0558 . Cyclosa_ZZ084_F0870
Cyclosa ZZ084

This genus also makes a marking in its web like the Argiope but instead of a cross it makes a circular marking. The small elongated species of Cyclosa, usually about 6 mm long, have conical humps at the end of the abdomen. Through the center of the snares, furnished with many radii and closely set spirals, often lies a stabilimentum consisting largely of the remains of insects and debris tied together with silk.


Cyclosa ZZ085	Cyclosa ZZ086

Cyclosa ZZ086

Cyclosa tribolata WA by Wendy Eiby	Cyclosa tribolata WA by Wendy Eiby

Genus Celaenia

This spider is better known as 'Bird-dropping' or 'Bird-dung' spider because it resembles it. An other common name is 'Orchard spider'. The spider is 2 - 3 mm large and white, brown and cream of colour. She does not make a web but attracts male moths of a single species ( Spodoptera mauritia, Lawn Armyworm ) by a special scent called pheromones. The pheromones are similar to the ones a female moth makes when she awaiting a man.

Celaenia excavata (C. kinbergii)	Celaenia excavata (C. kinbergii)

Genus Cyrtophora Tent-web spiders

These spiders are closely related to orb-web spiders. See more here

Genus Dolophones

Allthough wide-spread Dolophones prefer natural bushland situations. These spiders have short legs and a heart shaped abdomen which is flat and broad.
They are called 'wrap around spider" because they wrap around a twig when in rest. Their colouring matches the colour of the twig and they are therefore very difficult to spot.
The skin has a rough texture, often bearing nobles and scrab-like protuberances.
One species, Dolophones turrigera, bears a turret-like projection on front of its abdomen which gives the otherwise crab-like outline a bizarre apprearance.
This genus resembles the genera Heurodes and Poltys.

Dolophones ZZ366 Jamberoo NSW (photo by nic van Oudtshoorn)	Dolophones ZZ366 Sydney (photo by Guy Pollock)


Dolophones ZZ365 Sydney (photo by Ian Lawrie)	Dolophones ZZ423 picture by Farhan Bokhari

Genus Eriophora

Formerly called genus Araneus. These are the common garden spiders that make that familiar vertical orb-web usually at face level. The web is usually renewed after a night's use and renewed the next evening. During the day the spiders remain in a hiding nearby. Males are the same size as females but with a slender abdomen., long legs and conspicuously clubbed palps.


Eriophora transmarina has a brown/orange/red body densely covered with grey and white hairs. The spider can vary widely in colour and pattern. The female (20-25 mm) is considerably larger than the male (15-17 mm). The spider sits during the night in her web and retreats during the day. Her web is made between 1 and 2 meterabove the ground can measure up to 70 cm in diameter. The female makes an oval shaped egg-sac of 20 * 30 mm that contains 200-300 eggs with a diameter of 1 mm.


Eriophora transmarina?	Eriophora transmarina

Eriophora transmarina?	Eriophora transmarina?

Eriophora transmarina?	Eriophora ZZ266 transmarina?

Eriophora circulissparsus A pale green / yelow orb-web spider that is seldom noticed as it is a nocturnal spider. During the day it is well camouflaged againt leave surfaces. Males are 3-4 mm and females 5-7 mm.

Eriophora ZZ328 WA	Eriophora ZZ328 WA

Eriophora ZZ068	Eriophora transmarina

Eriophora ZZ087	Eriophora ZZ088

Eriophora ZZ088	Eriophora ZZ089

Eriophora ZZ090	Eriophora ZZ091

Eriophora ZZ091	Eriophora ZZ094

Eriophora ZZ095	Eriophora ZZ096

Eriophora ZZ097	Eriophora ZZ098

Eriophora ZZ099	Eriophora ZZ100


Eriophora heroine (previous name Araneus hewroine)	Eriophora ZZ075

Eriophora ZZ135 female	Eriophora ZZ135 male

Eriophora ZZ196	Eriophora ZZ114

Eriophora ZZ368	Eriophora ZZ137





Eriophora ZZ367	Eriophora ZZ267

Genus Larinia


Larinia phthisica	Larinia ZZ268
This spider lives in a vertical orb web that is made in tall grass. The female is around 9 mm long and the male is a little smaller.

Genus Leucage

Two species are descibed in this genus. This beautiful spider (I call it "glass in lead spider" but its common name is Two-humped orbweaver) makes horizontal orb webs with a hole in the center. They build their webswith adiameter between 20 and 40 cm in grass near the ground in moist situations such as along shady creek banks. It occurs in QLD and NSW.

Leucage dromedaria.

Leucage dromedaria. (left) with prey and above the ventral (under side) of the spider where one can see the spinners.

Detail of the ventral side

Genus Heurodes (old name Acroaspis)

Heurodes ZZ302 (WA)

Heurodes (Acroaspis) is wide-spread in Australia and includes at least 15 or so species. However, species identification is currently impossible as the genus has not been taxonomically revised yet. The spiders look spectacular in their web at night. During the day, they motionless sit on a branch of a tree and cannot be distinguished from a little branch or bud. Birds will have a hard time finding these during the day.

Genus Phonognatha
Phonognatha graeffei, leaf-curling or leaf-rolling spider, builds an orb web with a curled leaf retreat or sometimes a snail shell in the upper part of the web. The web is renewed every night. Young spiders make their retreat from a living leaf.

Phonognatha_graeffei_F0517 . Phonognatha_graeffei_F0557

Phonognatha_graeffei_F0556

Phonognatha graeffei.

Ed Nieuwenhuys, Ronald Loggen, Jurgen Otto, 17 January 2010

July 2009, April 2008, January 2008, November 19, 2002, May 2005, Sept 2006, May 2007