Gold Coast Spiders > Spider Index
Commonly known as the Four-spined Spiny Orbweaver (Gasteracantha quadrispinosa) and also known as the Spinybacked Orb-weaver, the species is a bright coloured spider, the shield ranging from red to yellow, with black coloured protruding spines. The female are up to 6 mm in size, whilst the male are up to 3 mm in size.
They are found in the wet forests and tropical rainforest habitats of Queensland. They build vertical orb webs, stretching approximately 1.5 m across, in which it hangs in the centre of the web, waiting for prey. The webs are often sheltered in the forest or among leaves in the forest canopy.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Araneidae
- Genus: Gasteracantha
- Species: Gasteracantha quadrispinosa
Footnote & References
- Photographs Gasteracantha quadrispinosa (Four-spined Spiny Orbweaver) © Stefan Jones
- Gasteracantha quadrispinosa O.P.-Cambridge, 1879, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/5a79aa35-07d0-4142-8ce6-a3fba230b565
- Four-spined Jewel Spider – Gasteracantha quadrispinosa, Brisbane Insects and Spiders Home Page, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_orbweavers/FourSpinedJewelSpider.htm
Gold Coast SpidersSpider Index Arkys alatus (Winged Arkys) Arkys cornutus (Horned Triangular Spider) Arkys curtulus (Bird-dropping Spider) Beregama cordata (Fireback Huntsman Spider) Gasteracantha quadrispinosa (Four-spined Spiny Orbweaver) Leucauge dromedaria (Humped Silver Orb Weaver) Mopsus mormon (Green Jumping Spider) Phonognatha graeffei (Leaf-curling Spider) Runcinia acuminata (Pointy Runcinia) Salsa fuliginata (Sooty Orb-weaver)
Gold Coast FaunaGastropods Insects Marsupials Spiders
QueenslandQueensland Fauna Gold Coast Region Lamington National Park Southern Downs QLD