Central Coast SpidersSpider Index Arachnura higginsi (Scorpion-tailed Spider) Arkys Index Celaenia Deinopis subrufa (Net-casting Spider) Dolophones turrigera (Turreted Wrap-around Spider) Maratus volans (Peacock Spider) Ordgarius magnificus (Magnificent Spider) Servaea villosa (Shaggy-velvet Servaea) Tetragnatha nitens (Shining Long-jawed Spider) Triangular Spiders

Arkys furcatus, common name include Fork-tailed Arkys and Mascord’s Pretty Archemorus, in the family Arkyidae, genus Arkys. A medium-sized ambush hunter, with an interesting pattern and body shape, colour range from light brown to orange, transparent sections and whitish flecks and lines.

Arkys furcatus, Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe
Arkys furcatus, Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe

The double pointed abdomen, somewhat like Cyrtophora exanthematica) and patterns in orange or brown are distinctive. The male’s abdomen ends in extravagantly long projections possibly helping disguise which end of the spider is the front.

Arkys furcatus (female), Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe
Arkys furcatus (female), Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe
Arkys furcatus (female), Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe
Arkys furcatus (female), Woy Woy NSW © Michael Doe

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Infraorder: Araneomorphae
  • Family: Arkyidae
  • Genus: Arkys
  • Species: Arkys furcatus

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs © Michael Doe
  2. Fork-tailed Arkys (Arkys furcatus), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/623486-Arkys-furcatus
  3. Arkys furcatus (Balogh, 1978), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/b1d43cdc-a22c-48d4-8235-1099a9e3ebb0
  4. Arkys furcatus (Balogh, 1978) Mascord’s Pretty Archemorus, Arachne.org.au, https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=1979

Central Coast SpidersSpider Index Arachnura higginsi (Scorpion-tailed Spider) Arkys Index Celaenia Deinopis subrufa (Net-casting Spider) Dolophones turrigera (Turreted Wrap-around Spider) Maratus volans (Peacock Spider) Ordgarius magnificus (Magnificent Spider) Servaea villosa (Shaggy-velvet Servaea) Tetragnatha nitens (Shining Long-jawed Spider) Triangular Spiders

Central CoastFauna Spiders

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