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

Hortophora is a genus of South Pacific orb-weaver spiders first described by V. W. Framenau, R. L. C. Baptista and F. S. M. Oliveira in 2021.

The new genus Hortophora in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is established to include 13 species from the Australasian-Pacific region, with ten species known from Australia (five of which new to science)2

Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Stirling Range National Park WA © Julie Schofield
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Araneoidea
  • Family: Araneidae
  • Subfamily: Araneinae
  • Genus: Hortophora
  • Complex: Hortophora transmarina
  • Species:
    • Hortophora capitalis
    • Hortophora cucullus
    • Hortophora flavicoma
    • Hortophora lodicula
    • Hortophora megacantha
    • Hortophora porongurup
    • Hortophora tatianeae
    • Hortophora urbana
    • Hortophora yesabah

Footnote & References

  1. Hortophora sp (Australasian Garden-Orb Weaver), Photographs © Julie Schofield
  2. Framenau, Volker & Baptista, Renner & Oliveira, Sâmia & Castanheira, Pedro. (2021). Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae). Evolutionary Systematics. 5. 275-334. 10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355868303_Taxonomic_revision_of_the_new_spider_genus_Hortophora_the_Australasian_Garden_Orb-weavers_Araneae_Araneidae
  3. Many thanks for genus ID to to Johan Kruger, member of Australian spider identification page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation/

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

Stirling Range National ParkFauna Flora Landscape

Western AustraliaThe Batavia Coast and Midwest WA Bungle Bungles – Purnululu National Park Great Southern WA Stirling Range National Park