Alice Springs Bug Life series…
Author Andrew Turner / Koh Lin ◦
The nature of the landscape and attractions here in Alice Springs provides an incredible backdrop to the many types of spiders that call Alice Springs Home…
Technically, spiders are not “bugs”, belonging as they do to the group “Arachnids”, class Arachnida. We include them in our Alice Springs Bug Life series for interest and because we love spiders.
Following are some of the spiders we have been lucky to see in Alice Springs. Sometimes we see spiders in their web (occasionally with prey). Other times we see them on plants, and occasionally we see adult spiders caring for their egg sac.
From spiders that live on the shrubs and trees that line the streets, to those found in our backyard, parks, gardens and homes, including those spiders lucky enough to be rescued from the backyard swimming pools, keep your eyes open as you never know what you may see… 😀
Following photos of spider egg sac…
Following links (in scientific classification order) to information on the above spiders.
- Anzacia, genus (Patriotic Ground Spider)
- Argiope protensa (Long-tailed St. Andrews Cross Spider)
- Argiope trifasciata (Banded Garden Spider)
- Badumna insignis (Black House Spider)
- Calligaster group, (Badge Huntsman Spider)
- Dolomedes facetus (Elegant Water Spider)
- Dolophones (Wrap-around Spider)
- Euryopis sp
- Gnaphosid (Ground Spider)
- Hortophora, genus (Australasian Garden Orb-Weaver)
- Isopedella inola (Desert Huntsman Spider)
- Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider)
- Neosparassus calligaster (Beautiful Badge Huntsman)
- Novakiella trituberculosa (Three-pointed Novakiella)
- Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider)
- Oxyopes (Lynx Spider)
- Peucetia, genus (Green Lynx Spider)
- Philodromidae, family (Running Crab Spider)
- Selenocosmia stirlingi (Barking Spider)
- Sondra aurea (Jumping Spider)
- Storena sp (Ant Spider)
- Tetragnatha, genus (Long-jawed Orb Weaver)
- Trichonephila edulis (Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider)
- Uloboridae, family (Cribellate Orb Weaver)
- Uloboridae, family (Hackled Orbweavers)
- Zodariidae, family (Ant Spider)
- Desert Huntsman (Isopedella inola) with egg sac
- Long-tailed St. Andrews Cross Spider (Argiope protensa)
- Female Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti) with egg sac
- Egg sac of the Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis)
- Egg sac of the Banded Garden Spider (Argiope trifasciata)
- Empty silken case (spider sac) of a spider – possibly Isopedella inola
The following thought to be Neosparassus calligaster, belonging to the genus Neosparassus that is in need of revision, many of which can’t be identified to species reliably. An incredibly species rich genus, with possibly dozens of undescribed species that look outwardly similar to the following one pictured here — the “calligaster group” is an informal grouping instead of a legitimate species complex described in formal writing.
Source: Eathan Douglas, member of Australian spider identification page, Facebook
We hope you love spiders as much as we do. You can also check out our content on other spider related pages throughout our website, including:
- Spiders | Spider Index | Index of Spider Images
- Queensland Spiders | Queensland Spider Index
- Gold Coast Spiders | Gold Coast Spider Index
- Western Australia Spiders | WA Spider Index
Check back as we add more spiders…
