Celaenia excavata

1 Bird-dropping spider at Kambah, ACT

Celaenia excavata at Kambah, ACT - 8 Feb 2021
Celaenia excavata at Kambah, ACT - 8 Feb 2021
Celaenia excavata at Kambah, ACT - 8 Feb 2021
Celaenia excavata at Kambah, ACT - 8 Feb 2021
Celaenia excavata at Kambah, ACT - 8 Feb 2021
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Identification history

Celaenia excavata 8 Feb 2021 Bron
Celaenia excavata 8 Feb 2021 HelenCross

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User's notes

With 7 egg sacs and moth prey

11 comments

Bron wrote:
   8 Feb 2021
There's an interesting article by Peter Chew in Brisbane about the moths this spider eats Helen
https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_orbweavers/BirdDroppingSpider.htm
HelenCross wrote:
   8 Feb 2021
Thanks Bron, lots of interesting information there! I'd read on the species page here about how they attract male moths but didn't know it's only one species!
Bron wrote:
   8 Feb 2021
Fascinating isn't it - not sure tho' whether that only pertains to Brisbane area - I wonder has anyone looked into what happens here? ALA https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:41c356bf-cdba-4268-a098-fb0f3e572a55 shows Canberra as the southern-most record for Spodoptera mauritia, whereas Celaenia excavata's rage extends south and west of here so they must be eating something!!
HelenCross wrote:
   8 Feb 2021
That would be interesting to know!
CathB wrote:
   9 Feb 2021
I've been keeping an eye on one of these spiders in the local park for the past week, hoping to get a good view of the prey moth. So far, I have seen two, the first discarded and missing all its soft parts and most of the scales on its wings, the second too tightly wrapped in silk to see any details. However, they look very much the same size and shape as the ones shown here.
Bron wrote:
   9 Feb 2021
Could you let us know if you discover anything else interesting pls Cath?
CathB wrote:
   10 Feb 2021
Certainly, Bron. I'm really interested to know too.
HelenCross wrote:
   10 Feb 2021
I've added some photos of the moths that are hanging in the same shrub underneath the spider - sighting 4371024
CathB wrote:
   23 Feb 2021
My spider finally caught another moth! See sighting 4373081.
HelenCross wrote:
   23 Feb 2021
My spider disappeared a week ago. No hatchlings yet.
GlennCocking wrote:
   14 Mar 2021
There is a new comment on 4373081 about the the identity of that moth

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  • 12mm to 25mm Animal size

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