Alice Springs Fauna •
Alice Springs Spiders > Alice Springs Spider Index
Known as the Beautiful Badge Huntsman Spider (Neosparassus calligaster), this large and long-legged spider species has a recognisable prominent shield shape markings on the underneath of the abdomen (a black and red patch on the underside), hence the other common name of Shield Huntsman Spider.
This species also has distinctive colour pattern of black, white, orange or yellow, coloured bands on the underside of the legs.
Like most Badge Huntsman Spiders and as with many species of huntsman, they can be found living under loose bark on trees, in logs, in crevices on rock walls, under rocks and slabs of bark and thick debris on the ground, and on foliage.
They can also be found in urban gardens and entering houses, with the Beautiful Badge Huntsman Spider pictured here having been sighted around a swimming pool (pool fencing), captured in a glass container and released into the garden.
It is interesting how the image of the spider below, being in the sunshine (a bit over exposed) and from a different angle, looks different to the following photos (rest assured that this is the same spider).
The colour above are orange-brown to dark brown, dark flecks, with two blackish spots on the dorsal surface of the abdomen. As well as alternate coloured bands, the legs also have fine black speckling. The male is larger than the female.
The Neosparassus calligaster has a recorded range from Mackay in Queensland, south through the coastal parts of eastern Australia to Victoria and South Australia, stretching inland to Aice Springs in Central Australia, and with limited sightings in Tasmania. There are recorded sightings in Western Australia (although the originals may possibly be vagrants).
More information Fauna > Spiders > Australian Huntsman > Neosparassus calligaster
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Araneomorphae
- Infraorder: Entelegynae
- Superfamily: Sparassoidea
- Family: Sparassidae
- Subfamily: Deleninae
- Genus: Neosparassus
- Species: Neosparassus calligaster
Footnote & References
- Many thanks to Ben Kurek for species ID, member of Australian spider identification page Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation/
- Many thanks for ID to genus Tizzie Figg and Johan Fruger member of Australian spider identification page Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation/
- Beautiful Badge Huntsman (Neosparassus calligaster), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/564915-Neosparassus-calligaster
- Badge Huntsman Spiders, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/badge-huntsman-spiders-neosparassus-sp/
- Beautiful Badge Huntsman (Neosparassus calligaster), ausemade, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/188245537
Alice Springs SpidersAustralian Golden Orb Weaver Australian Huntsman Spiders (Sparassidae) Backobourkines Banded Garden Spider Beautiful Badge Huntsman (Neosparassus calligaster) Cytaea sp Desert Huntsman Spider Elegant Water Spider (Dolomedes facetus) Euryopis sp Gnaphosid (Ground Spider) Hackled Orb-weavers (Uloboridae) Hogna crispipes Hortophora sp Long-jawed Orb Weavers (Tetragnatha) Long-tailed St. Andrew’s Cross Spider (Argiope protensa) Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) Miturgidae (Elassoctenus spp) Neosparassus sp Oecobius sp Orange-legged Swift Spider (Nyssus coloripes) Orbweavers (Araneidae) Red-headed Mouse Spider Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti) Sondra aurea Uloboridae (Cribellate Orb Weavers) Wall Spider (Oecobius sp) Zodariidae
Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders
Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Bougainvillea Apple Bush Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander
Alice SpringsMparntwe Alice Springs Accommodation Alice Springs Pet Friendly Accommodation Alice Springs Art & Culture Alice Springs Attractions Alice Springs Directory Alice Springs Distance Alice Springs Festival & Events Alice Springs Flora and Fauna Alice Springs Fauna Alice Springs Flora Getting Around Alice Springs Alice Springs Aboriginal Tours Alice Springs Tours Alice Springs Tours – Other