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

The Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus) is a small, green orb-weaver species (family Araneidae) that is found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. They have light speckled colouration against the green, with occasional variable size red and yellow patch on the abdomen, although these colours may be absent entirely.

Araneus circulissparsus may actually refer to a group of species or sub-species

The Speckled Orbweaver creates a small orb webs on the foliage of shrubs, their colour enabling them to blend against the green leaves. It is thought that the red and yellow patches may help break up the outline of the spider.

Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Araneoidea
  • Family: Araneidae
  • Subfamily: Araneinae
  • Genus: Araneus
  • Species: Araneus circulissparsus

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs Apeckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus) © Michael Doe
  2. Speckled Orbweaver (Araneus circulissparsus), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/487451-Araneus-circulissparsus
  3. Araneus circulissparsus (species group), Canberra Nature Map, https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/1021

Araneidae — Orb WeaversAcroaspis Orb Weavers Image Index Argiope protensa Australian Golden Orb Weaver Garden Orb Weaving Spider 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 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 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) Thomisidae Wolf Spider Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus)