Stirling Range National Park SpidersBackobourkia sp (Orb-weaver) Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider) Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver)

The genus Backobourkia, family Araneidae, belongs to a group of Orb-weavers found in the South Pacific region and is quite common in Australia.

The genus name is a play on the Australian idiom, “Back of Bourke”, meaning very remote, beyond the limits of civilization, although today, they are often seen within urban location. Belonging to the Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver group, another common name is Outback Orb-weaver, although Backobourkia sp is a great name.

Backobourkia (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Outback Orb-weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield

One of the characteristics of this genus, are the two distinct humeral tubercles on the anterior half of the abdomen.

Backobourkia sp (Garden Orb-weaver Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Garden Orb-weaver Spider) female, Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Garden Orb-weaver Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Backobourkia sp (Garden Orb-weaver Spider) female, Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Infraorder: Araneomorphae
  • Family: Araneidae
  • Genus: Backobourkia
  • Species:
    • Backobourkia brouni (Urquhart, 1885)
    • Backobourkia collina (Keyserling, 1886)
    • Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871)

Footnote & References

  1. Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Photographs © Julie Schofield
  2. Many thanks for ID to Chris Hoy Poy and Johan Kruger, members of Australian spider identification page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation/
  3. Many thanks for ID to Ben Kurek and Johan Kruger, members of Australian spider identification page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation/
  4. Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https%3A//biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/e0f0450f-e53f-4662-8cdf-ef89362cfef2
  5. Outback Orb-Weavers (Genus Backobourkia), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/375724-Backobourkia

Stirling Range National Park SpidersBackobourkia sp (Orb-weaver) Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider) Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver)

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