The Flower Spiders are a group of spiders whose common name (as implied) are often found on flowers. They are usually colourful, their colours reflecting the colour of the flowers that they are found on, providing camouflage, against predators such as birds and enabling them to ambush approaching insects.
Some of the Flower Spiders are brownish to green, especially on the carapace and legs, with an abdomen that is white to yellow. The white and yellow colouring suit spiders that like to wait in the centre of flowers, especially for nectar-feeding insects.
Others have abdomens that are variously patterned in red, brown or green. This patterning is thought to help the spiders blend in with the leafy foliage or flowery backgrounds. Some species of Flower Spiders can slowly change their colour to suit their background.
Most Flower Spiders are diurnal (active during the day) and can be quite common on many Australian native flowers including grevilleas and wattles. They are territorial with only one spider per flower(s), although you may see a male and female on the same flower.
Some species from this group of spiders may also be known as “Crab Spiders” or “Flower Crab Spiders”.
This section about Flower Spiders is under development, check back as more information coming soon…
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Araneomorphae
- Infraorder: Entelegynae
- Superfamily: Thomisoidea
- Family: Thomisidae
- Genus: Diaea (Flower Spiders)
- Species:
- Diaea albicincta
- Diaea albolimbata
- Diaea ambara
- Diaea bengalensis
- Diaea bipunctata
- Diaea carangali
- Diaea delata
- Diaea doleschalli
- Diaea dorsata
- Diaea giltayi
- Diaea graphica
- Diaea gyoja
- Diaea implicata
- Diaea insignis
- Diaea limbata
- Diaea livens
- Diaea longisetosa
- Diaea mikhailovi
- Diaea mutabilis
- Diaea nakajimai
- Diaea ocellata
- Diaea osmanii
- Diaea papuana
- Diaea placata
- Diaea pougneti
- Diaea proclivis
- Diaea puncta
- Diaea rohani
- Diaea rufoannulata
- Diaea semilutea
- Diaea seminola
- Diaea septempunctata
- Diaea shirleyi
- Diaea simplex
- Diaea sphaeroides
- Diaea spiniformis
- Diaea spinosa
- Diaea subdola
- Diaea suspiciosa
- Diaea tadtadtinika
- Diaea taibeli
- Diaea terrena
- Diaea tianpingensis
- Diaea tongatabuensis
- Diaea viridipes
- Diaea zonura
there are approximately 46 species in this genus (at time of writing)
Footnote & References
- Flower Spiders, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/flower-spiders/
- Flower Spiders (Genus Diaea), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/199493-Diaea
SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia 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 Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus volans Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider