Spiders

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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

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)

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Discussion

kasiaaus wrote:

29 May 2025

I don't know if it is a Morebilus plagusius or a Hemicloea sp. spider. How do you tell them apart?

Unverified Other hunting spider

DiBickers wrote:

27 May 2025

Happy to help @NateKingsford💚

Austracantha minax

NateKingsford wrote:

27 May 2025

Cheers @DiBickers!

Austracantha minax

NateKingsford wrote:

24 May 2025

Awesome colouration!

Tamopsis sp. (genus)

CathB wrote:

23 May 2025

Thanks Michael. There are a number of these orange-faced spiders with their spotty abdomens in the Euophryinae sp. (undescribed) category. Golden palps are usually plainer.

Salticidae sp. 'Golden palps'