Australia's spider fauna

Australia's described spider fauna consists of about 2000 species, perhaps as little as half of the total fauna. Most of these species come from the eastern and southern regions of Australia. Even in the better known areas, surveys of ground spider faunas can still identify to species less than 50% of the spiders sampled.

Obviously, there is much more collecting, observational and descriptive work to be done before Australia's spider fauna is adequately documented. In addition to describing and classifying our spider fauna, there is a great need to gather more information about how Australian spiders live - about their behaviour, ecology and life histories. With so much still to find out, the study of spiders is a rewarding field for both professional and amateur researchers.

Find out more about some Australian spider families

Family Actinopodidae: Mouse Spiders

• Eastern Mouse Spider (Missulena bradleyi) and Red-headed Mouse Spider (Missulena occatoria)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/mouse_spider.htm

Family Araneidae: Orb weaving spiders

• Saint Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope keyserlingi)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/st_andrews_cross.htm
• Bird-dropping spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/bird_dropping.htm
• Bolas spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/bolas_spider.htm

Family Austrochilidae

• Tasmanian Cave Spider (Hickmania troglodytes)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/cave_spider.htm

Family Clubionidae: Sac spiders

• Slender Sac Spiders (Cheiracanthium) and Stout Sac Spiders (Clubiona)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/sac_spider.htm

Family Deinopidae: Net-casting spiders

• Net-casting Spiders (Deinopis subrufa and Avella sp)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/netcasting_spider.htm
• Rufous Net-casting Spider (Deinopis subrufa)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/rufous_spider.htm

Family Desidae: Lace web or house spiders

• Black House Spider (Badumna insignis)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/black_spider.htm
• Foliage Webbing Spider (Phryganoporus candidus)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/foliage_spider.htm

Family Gnaphosidae: Ground spiders

• Ground spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/ground_spider.htm

Family Gradungulidae

• Carrai Cave Spider (Progradungula carraiensis)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/carrai_spider.htm

Family Sparassidae: Huntsman spiders

• Huntsman spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/huntsman_spiders.htm

Family Hexathelidae: Funnel-web spiders

• Funnel-web spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/funnelweb.htm

Family Idiopidae: Trapdoor spiders

• Black Rugose Trapdoor Spider (Idiosoma nigrum)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/rugose.htm
• Brown Trapdoor Spiders (Misgolas spp) and spotted Trapdoor Spiders: (Aganippe spp)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/trapdoor_spiders.htm
• Tube spiders (Misgolas robertsi and M. mascordi)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/tube_spider.htm

Family Lamponidae: White-tailed spiders

• White-tailed spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/white_tailed_spider.htm

Family Lycosidae: Wolf spiders

• Wolf spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/wolf_spiders.htm

Family Salticidae: Jumping spiders

• Jumping spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/jumping_spider.htm
• Fringed Jumping Spider or Portia (Portia fimbriata)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/portia.htm

Family Tetragnathidae: tetragnathid orb weaving spiders

• Leaf-curling spiders (Phonognatha spp.)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/leaf_curling_spider.htm
• Golden orb weaving spiders (Nephila plumipes )
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/golden_orb_spider.htm

Family Theraphosidae: Australian tarantulas

• Australian tarantulas
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/tarantula.htm

Family Theridiidae: Comb-footed spiders

• Comb-footed Platform Spider (Achaearanea mundula)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/platform_spider.htm
• Cupboard or Brown House Spider ( Steatoda species)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/cupboard_spider.htm
• Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/redback.htm
• Red-spotted Argyrodes (Argyrodes incursus)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/red_spotted.htm
• Whip Spider(Argyrodes colubrinus)
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/whip_spider.htm

Family Thomisidae: Flower or crab spiders

• Flower spiders
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/flower_spider.htm

Spiders that mimic ants: several families

• Spiders that mimic ants
  http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/mimic.htm

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