OrdgariusOrdgarius magnificus

The Ordgarius is a genus of orb-weaver spiders, that were first described in 1886 by Eugen von Keyserling. The adult female of this genus capture their prey withsticky drops at the end of a single line of silk, hence their common name of Bolas Spiders. The males and juvenile females capture prey directly with their legs.

The female Magnificent Spider is very distinctive in its appearance and markings. They are white with two yellow knobs on their abdomen, have a number of salmon-coloured spots and blotches, and the body and limbs are covered with long fine hairs.

Found mainly along the eastern side of Australia, there are three species of Bolas spider: The Magnificent Spider – Ordgarius magnificus, Ordgarius furcatus and Ordgarius monstrosus.

Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus), Narara NSW © Michael Doe
Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus), Narara NSW © Michael Doe
Ordgarius magnificus (Magnificent Spider), Patonga NSW © Michael Doe
Ordgarius magnificus (Magnificent Spider), Patonga NSW © Michael Doe
Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus), Narara NSW © Michael Doe
Magnificent Spider (Ordgarius magnificus), Narara NSW © Michael Doe
Ordgarius sp, Narara NSW © Michael Doe
Ordgarius sp, Narara NSW © Michael Doe


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Araneoidea
  • Family: Araneidae
  • Genus: Ordgarius
  • Species:
    • Ordgarius furcatus (O.P.-Cambridge, 1877)
    • Ordgarius magnificus (Rainbow, 1897)
    • Ordgarius monstrosus Keyserling, 1886

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs Ordgarius sp © Michael Doe
  2. Michael Doe on Flickr – spiderphotography21
  3. Ordgarius Keyserling, 1886, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Ordgarius
  4. Bolas spider, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas_spider
  5. Magnificent Spider, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/magnificent-spider/
  6. Ordgarius magnificus (Rainbow, 1897) Magnificent Spider, Arachne.org.au, https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2305

OrdgariusOrdgarius magnificus

Araneidae — Orb WeaversAcroaspis Orb Weavers Image Index Argiope protensa Australian Golden Orb Weaver Garden Orb Weaving Spider (Eriphora spp) Hortophora sp Ordgarius Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus)

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Euryopis umbilicate (Superb Ant-eater Spider) Flower Spiders Gnaphosidae (Stealthy Ground Spider) Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Molycria burwelli Mopsus mormon Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Tetragnatha Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider