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

The Flower Spider Tharrhalea multopunctata was previously named Diaea multopunctata and Lehtinelagia multopunctata. One of the three species Tharrhalea (Lehtinelagia) evanidaTharrhalea (Lehtinelagia) multopunctata and Tharrhalea (Lehtinelagia) variabilis they are difficult to tell apart.

Like most Flower Spiders, Tharrhalea evanidaTharrhalea multopunctata and Tharrhalea variabilist are diurnal and usually found on flowers, especially the flowers of Australian native, including grevilleas and wattles.

Flower Spider (Tharrhalea multopunctata), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Flower Spider (Tharrhalea multopunctata), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones

Being territorial you will usually only see one spider on a flower, unless they are male and female that are coming together to mate. At night time, the flower spiders hide under the petals or leaves.

Tharrhalea multopunctata, Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Flower Spider (Tharrhalea multopunctata), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones

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

Footnote & References

  1. Tharrhalea multopunctata, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/828590-Tharrhalea-multopunctata
  2. Photographs Tharrhalea evanida © Stefan Jones
  3. Many thanks for help with ID from Annette Fraser-Dunn and members of the Australian spider identification page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianspidereducation

ThomisidaeThomisidae Image Index Runcinia acuminata Sidymella 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 Spider sac 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) Helpis minitabunda (Bronze Hopper) 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 Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift 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