Stirling Range National ParkFauna Flora Landscape

The Common Bird-dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata), are an amazing looking spider that use their resemblance to bird dropping as a form of camouflage. This is a form of mimicry to avoid being eaten by birds and wasps.

The female Celaenia excavata spider makes ball shaped egg sacs, measuring approximately 10 mm in diameter. These eggs sacs are loosely held together by webbing. There are often a number of eggs sacs grouped together, with each sac containing hundreds of eggs. The female can often bee seen siting with the egg sacs or close by on the foliage.

Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Celaenia excavata (Common Bird-dropping Spider), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield

More information about the Common Bird-dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata):

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs © Julie Schofield
  2. Celaenia excavata (L. Koch, 1867), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Celaenia excavata
  3. Common Bird-dropping Spider Celaenia excavata, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/409761-Celaenia-excavata

Stirling Range National ParkFauna Flora Landscape

Western AustraliaWestern Australia Fauna Western Australia Flora The Batavia Coast and Midwest WA Bungle Bungles – Purnululu National Park Great Southern WA South West WA Stirling Range National Park