Lynx  Spiders  -  Family:  Oxyopidae
      ​Lynx Spiders are small to large spiders ranging in size from 4 - 22 mm.  Most species, including the Australian contingent are towards the smaller end of that spectrum however.  Their are 446 species in 9 genera on record as of November 2023.   Australia has 20 species on record although this number could be as high as 60. Of these, the Northern Rivers is home to about 13 species from 3 genera.  They are, generally, day-time hunters and, some species will happily eat nectar as well.  The primary purpose of their silk is to construct egg-sacs which the females of the species will guard dilligently even after the eggs have hatched for up to eight week or so.  Egg-sacs are not necessarily carried arround, they are often attached underneath a leaf or other structure.
      Oxyopids have a number of features that tends to set them apart from other families.  When viewed from the front their face appears long and flat with the eyes arranged at the top.   They have eight eyes with the central six making up a near-hexagonal pattern.   AThe abdomen is typically pear-shaped and, in most species the legs have numerous long and stiff spines protruding from them.  They are said to be cursorial *  hunters, meaning they do have legs that are well adapted to fast running yet many species prefer to ambush their prey.  To this effect many are coloured in such a manner as to blend in with their surroundings.  Those that live on foliage or near flowers can look quite spectacular although most of the Australian species are a little drab.
       Spiders in this family tend to occupy the understory of the woodlands they live in and they are probably best found by actively searching for them in bushes, shrubs or on smaller herbaceous plants. Their eyesight is very good though and they are likely to retreat to the 'other side' of whatever stem, branch or leaf they happen to be on when they spot a threat approaching.  Lynx Spiders are solitary hunting spiders that may prey on other spiders as well, but, interestingly, many are quite tolerant of others of their own species.  One species, a South American Tapinillus sp.,  even displays social behaviours that extends to communal living in large webs that may hold a few dozen individuals of both sexes as well as juveniles.  Maintenance of the web is shared by all adults and large prey may be subdued by a number of spiders working together and the food, if large enough, is shared.  
      Hamataliwa monroei     (likely occurrence)
      Farmland Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes amoenus
      Attenuated Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes attenuatus     (possible occurrence)
      Elegant Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes elegans
      Graceful-legs Lynx  -  Oxyopes gracilipes

      
Picture
D 191 - D.Davey
      Pleasant Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes gratus     (possible occurrence)
      Lean Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes macilentus
      Oxyopes molarius
      Oxyopes mundulus
      Spotted Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes punctatus     (possible occurrence)
      Oxyopes rubicundus     (likely occurrence)
      Variable Lynx Spider  -  Oxyopes variabilis
      Peucetia albescens

      
Taxonomy:
​​
Phylum:   Arthropoda   (Arthropods)
          > Subphylum:   Chelicerata   (Chelicerates)
                    > Class:   Arachnida   (Arachnids) 
                                        > Order:   Aranea   (Spiders)
                                                  > Suborder:   Araneomorphae   (Typical Spiders)
                                                            > Infraorder:   Entelegynea   (Entelegyne Spiders)
                                                                      > Superfamily:   Lycosoidea   (Wolf Spiders and Allies)
                                                                                > Family:   Oxyopidae   (Lynx Spiders)
 ​                                                                                                             > Genus:   Hamataliwa     (Crowned Lynx Spiders)
                                                                                                                        > Species:   H. monroei  *
 ​                                                                                                             > Genus:   Oxyopes     (Grass Lynx Spiders)
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. amoenus - Farmland Lynx Spider
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. attenuatus - Attenuated Lynx Spider ^
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. elegans - Elegant Lynx Spider
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. gracilipes - Graceful-legs Lynx Spider
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. gratus - Pleasant Lynx Spider ^
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. macilentus - Lean Lynx Spider
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. molarius
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. mundulus
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. punctatus - Spotted Lynx Spider ^
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. rubicundus  *
                                                                                                                        > Species:   O. variabilis - Variable Lynx Spider
 ​                                                                                                             > Genus:   Peucetia
                                                                                                                        > Species:   P. albescens
​
*  =  likely
^  =  possibly
References  and  links:
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>      Avilés, L.,  (1994).    'Social behaviour in a web-building lynx spider, Tapinillus sp. (Araneae: Oxyopidae).'   Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 51. 163-176. 
DOI.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.1994.tb00985.x. 
>      Taylor, R.M. and Pfannenstiel, R.S.,  (2008).   'Nectar feeding by wandering spiders on cotton plants.'   Environmental Entomology, 37(4), pp.996-1002
>      Thorell, T. (1869).    'On European spiders. Review of the European genera of spiders, preceded by some observations on zoological nomenclature [first part].'   Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis (3) 7(I, 5): 1-108. [incl. pp. 109-242 from 1870] 

​       https://wsc.nmbe.ch/family/69/Oxyopidae
       https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Education-Resources-and-Events/Environment-Resources-and-Publications/Invertebrates/Lynx-spider
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Photographic  contributions:
Davey, Diana.                               D191.

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