ThomisidaeRuncinia acuminata Sidymella Thomisidae Image Index Tharrhalea sp Tharrhalea evanida Tharrhalea multopunctata Thomisus spectabilis Tmarus cinerasceus Xysticus bimaculatus Zygometis xanthogaster

Known as the Northern Flower Spider (Tharrhalea (Lehtinelagia) evanida), part of the crab spider group, it is also known as the Pink Flower Spider.

Tharrhalea evanida, Tharrhalea multopunctata and Tharrhalea variabilis are often hard to impossible to tell apart in the field.

Pink Flower Spider (Tharrhalea evanida), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Pink Flower Spider (Tharrhalea evanida), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones

There may be some clue in the location – Brisbane southward and westward appear to be mostly L.multopunctata, while L. evanida seems to be a northern species, widely distributed across North Australia and New Guinea, in common with L. variabilis. However the lectotype locality of L. evanida is Brisbane, collected by Amalie Dietrich. Koch’s types were from Mackay and Rockhampton. Two other species D. sticta from Papua district, western part of New Guinea Indonesia and D. haemodactyla from Mackay, were synonymised with Lehtinelagia evanida. Other specimens were collected all across Queensland and a few from northern NSW, meaning that Lehtinelagia evanida and Lehtinelagia multopunctata are definitely sympatric, meaning they occur in the same locations. Lehtinelagia evanida is only rarely found in Brisbane’s west and further westward, or south of Brisbane, even though it is common at Boondall Wetlands on Moreton Bay and on Queensland islands of the Great Barier Reef. It is rare in NSW, only known form single sites Taree, Brooklama, Bryon Bay. It is known in the Noprthern Territory. Evanidus in Latin means vanishing, negligible, passing, probably referring to the barely discernable epigyne.

Lehtinelagia multopunctata is widespread in the north-eastern and eastern part of mainland Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, especially Sydney where Lehtinelagia evanida is not found) and on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef and in New Guinea. Also in one site in South Australia, one site in Western Australia and one site in Victoria. Multopunctata means many-spotted, referring to the male.

Lehtinelagia variabilis is a rare species distributed mostly in Queensland. The Latin word variabilis means variable, changeable, which may refer to the variable morphology (appearance and shape) of this species.

Source: Lehtinelagia variabilis, multopunctata or evanida, Arachne.org.au1
Pink Flower Spider (Tharrhalea evanida), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Pink Flower Spider (Tharrhalea evanida), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones

This section about Tharrhalea evanida spiders is under development, check back as more information is added…


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Thomisoidea
  • Family: Thomisidae
  • Genus: Tharrhalea
  • Species: Tharrhalea evanida

Footnote & References

  1. Lehtinelagia variabilis, multopunctata or evanida, Arachne.org.au, http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=1944, (this site is no longer active. Some content can be viewed on Wayback Machine)
  2. Lehtinelagia multopunctata (L. Koch, 1874) Many-spotted Flower Spider, Arachne.org.au, https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2299
  3. A Field Guide to the Spiders of Australia, Authors Robert Whyte and Greg Anderson, https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6899/
  4. Photographs Tharrhalea evanida © Stefan Jones

ThomisidaeRuncinia acuminata Sidymella Thomisidae Image Index Tharrhalea sp Tharrhalea evanida Tharrhalea multopunctata Thomisus spectabilis Tmarus cinerasceus Xysticus bimaculatus Zygometis xanthogaster

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)