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


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Nyssus coloripes (Spotted Ground Swift Spider)

Nyssus sp. (genus) (Swift spiders)

Ocrisiona leucocomis (White-flecked Crevice-dweller)

Ocrisiona sp. (genus) (Unidentified wasp mimic)

Oecobius sp. (genus) (Midget house spider)

Opisthoncus abnormis (Long-legged Jumper)

Opisthoncus polyphemus (Cyclops jumping spider)

Opisthoncus sexmaculatus (Six-marked jumping spider)

Male

Opisthoncus sp. (genus) (Unidentified Opisthoncus jumping spider)

Ordgarius magnificus (Magnificent Spider)

Ostearius melanopygius (Black-tailed Ostearius)

Oxyopes elegans (Elegant Lynx Spider)

Oxyopes gracilipes (Graceful-legs Lynx Spider)

Paraembolides sp. (genus) (A Slender Funnel-web spider)

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1,905,408 sightings of 21,330 species from 13,136 contributors
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