Elegant Water Spider (Dolomedes facetus)

Alice Springs Fauna •

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) Hackled Orb-weavers Hortophora sp Long-jawed Orb Weavers Long-tailed St. Andrew’s Cross Spider Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) Miturgidae (Elassoctenus spp) Red-headed Mouse Spider Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti) Wall Spider (Oecobius sp)

Dolomedes facetus, from the family Pisauridae, is known as the Elegant Water Spider and Crafty Fishing Spider. It is a medium to large-sized fishing spider, endemic to Australia.

They are usually found in freshwater ponds and waterways, ranging from Western Australia to Tasmania, and is common in the northern parts of Australia in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The Elegant Water Spider pictured here was retrieved from a swimming pool in Alice Springs. It appeared to be quite comfortable skating across the swimming pool. It was retrieved and placed in a fish pond (maybe not the best place to put this spider 😀).