Orbweavers and Allies - Family: Araneidae - The Northern Rivers Project

Orbweavers and Allies - Family: Araneidae

Photo by Diana Davey

The Family: Araneidae or Orbweavers are the third largest family of spiders with 3,042 species in 177 genera described to date. 104 of these genera are unplaced, the remainder is spread over 6 subfamilies. Most are medium to large spiders that weave the large webs consisting of spiralling circles and spokes most of us know as a classic spider web. They are found in forests and meadows on every continent except Antarctica and many species are well adapted to living in man-made environments. Whereas many can be seen during the daytime sitting in their webs, Orbweavers prefer to be busy towards and during the evening. At that time many of these spiders will eat the old web and construct a new one. Not all Orbweavers build webs though.

The Genus: Araneus in the Subfamily: Araneinae is by far the largest within this family with 560 species listed. However, these numbers are likely to be distorted by the fact that Araneus (formerly: Epeira) has historically been a dumping ground for species that are obviously Araneids but that do not clearly show a particular affinity to other genera within the Araneidae. Consequently, this genus is probably the most varied of all. Spiders of all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours may be found here. On top of that, species within this genus diplay considerable amount of sexual dimorphism. The males of the species usually are considerably smaller than the females and their physical proportions tend to be quite different as well.

In total there are currently 27 Australian species in 13 unplaced genera plus another 65* species in 19* genera spread over 5 subfamilies in the Family: Araneidae that may be found in the Northern Rivers with a fair degree of certainty. (species marked '^' excepted) However, these numbers are likely to fluctuate over time due to considerable taxonomic debate about the relationships within the family. It is also important to note that many Australian species of Arthropods were collected very early on in Australia's modern history and these specimens were usually sent overseas to museums or individuals for safekeeping and scientific description. Quite a few of these can no longer be found. Furthermore, new species are discovered quite regularly and it may well be that the spider population of the Northern Rivers is still harbouring a few unknown species. F.i. the Heptagonal Orbweaver, Gea heptagon, was only discovered near Ballina in 2021. There are likely to be others.
* = plus one species in one genus of uncertain status.

Unplaced genera

Rainforest Orbweaver - Abba transversa

Acroaspis lancearia (possible occurrence)

Acroaspis olorina

Acroaspis tuberculifera

Scorpion-tailed Spider - Arachnura higginsi

D 086 - D.Davey

Outstanding Orbweaver - Bijouranis praesignis

Carepalxis bilobata (likely occurrence)

Carepalxis tuberculata (likely occurrence)

Atkinson's Bird-dropping Spider - Celaenia atkinsoni

Marbled Bird-dropping Spider - Celaenia calotoides

Celaenia distincta

False Bird-dropping Spider - Celaenia dubia

Common Bird-dropping Spider - Celaenia excavata

Darwin's Cyrtobill - Cyrtobill darwini

Novakiella trituberculosa

Ordgarius furcatus

Magnificent Bolas Spider - Ordgarius magnificus

Spiny Bolas Spider - Ordgarius monstrosus

Two-spined Spider - Poecilopachys australasia

C 1400 - E.Beringen

Poecilopachys speciosa (possible occurrence)

Rough Twig Spider - Poltys illepidus

Wrapped-up Twig Spider - Poltys laciniosus (possible occurrence)

Poltys noblei

Knobbled Orbweaver - Socca pustulosa

Socca sydneyica

Joana's Ladder-web Spider - Telaprocera joanae

L 365 - N.Lambert

L 362 - N.Lambert

Maude's Ladder-web Spider - Telaprocera maudae

L 366 - N.Lambert

L 367 - N.Lambert

L 368 - N.Lambert

Subfamily: Araneinae

Tiny Button Orbweaver - Anepsion peltoides (possible occurrence)

Pointy Orbweaver - Araneus acuminatus

White-winged Orbweaver - Araneus albotriangulus

Speckled Orbweaver - Araneus circulissparsus

Blue Bush Orbweaver - Araneus cyrtarachnoides

Parrot-coloured Orbweaver - Araneus psittacinus

Small Round Orbweaver - Araneus rotundulus

Araneus separatus (possible occurrence)

Araneus stolidus

Araneus usualis

Broun's Marbled Orb-Weaver - Backobourkia brouni

C 1341 - E.Beringen

Heroic Orbweaver - Backobourkia heroine (possible occurrence)

Long-tailed Orbweaver - Cyclosa bacilliformes

Common Garbage Line Web Spider - Cyclosa insulana

Three-lobed Spider - Cyclosa trilobata

Wrap-around Spider - Dolophones conifera (possible occurrence)

Dolophones macleayi (possible occurrence)

Dolophones mammeata (possible occurrence)

Dolophones nasalis (possible occurrence)

Dolophones notacantha

Dolophones peltata

Dolophones testudinea (possible occurrence)

Dolophones tuberculata

Turreted Wrap-around Spider - Dolophones turrigera

Eriophora sp. (possible occurrence)

Hortophora biapicata

Hortophora lodicula

Hortophora megacantha

Hortophora tatianeae

Australian Garden Orbweaver - Hortophora transmarina

C 557 - E.Beringen

C 552 - E.Beringen

Hortophora urbana

Hortophora walesiana (possible occurrence)

Hortophora yesabah

Kangaraneus amblycyphus

Sandy Orbweaver - Kangaraneus arenaceus (likely occurrence)

Larinia montagui (possible occurrence)

Larinia phthisica

Half Orbweaver - Leviana dimidiata

Leviana folium

White-back Orbweaver - Mangrovia albida

Neoscona inusta

Common Web-Spider - Neoscona theisi

Plebs arleaeae

Enamelled Spider - Plebs bradleyi

Eastern Bush Orbweaver - Plebs ebernus

D 045 - D.Davey

Brisbane Orbweaver - Salsa brisbanae

Sooty Orbweaver - Salsa fuliginata

Subfamily: Argiopinae

Northern Saint Andrew's Cross Spider - Argiope aetherea

Argiope bullocki

Saint Andrew's Cross Spider - Argiope keyserlingi

C 615 - E.Beringen

C 612 - E.Beringen

C 614 - E.Beringen

Magnificent Saint Andrew's Cross Spider - Argiope magnifica

Bark-hugging Saint Andrew's Cross Spider - Argiope ocyaloides

Painted Cross Spider - Argiope picta (possible occurrence)

Tailed Forest Spider - Argiope protensa

Banded Garden Spider - Argiope trifasciata

Heptagonal Orbweaver - Gea heptagon

Common Gea - Gea theridioides

Subfamily: Cyrtarachninae

Cyrtarachne tricolor (possible occurrence)

Subfamily: Cyrtophorinae

Fat-legged Tent-web Spider - Cyrtophora crassipes

Pan-web Orbweaver - Cyrtophora exanthematica

Russian Tent Spider - Cyrtophora hirta

Dome Web Spider - Cyrtophora moluccensis

Cyrtophora parnasia

Subfamily: Gasteracanthinae

Christmas Jewel Spider - Austracantha minax

Four-spined Spiny Orbweaver - Gasteracantha quadrispinosa

Priestly Spiny Orbweaver - Gasteracantha sacerdotalis

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Taxonomy:

Phylum: Arthropoda   (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata   (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida   (Arachnids)
> Order: Aranea (Spiders)
> Suborder: Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
> Infraorder: Entelegynea   (Entelegyne Spiders)
  > Superfamily: Araneoidea   (Araneoid Spiders)
> Family: Araneidae (Orbweavers and Allies)
> Genus: Abba
    > Species: A. transversa - Rainforest Orbweaver
> Genus: Acroaspis
    > Species: A. lancearia ^
    > Species: A. olorina
    > Species: A. tuberculifera
> Genus: Arachnura (Scorpion-tailed Spiders)
    > Species: A. higginsi - Scorpion-tailed Spider
> Genus: Bijoaraneus
    > Species: B. praesignis - Outstanding Orbweaver
> Genus: Carepalxis
    > Species: C. bilobata *
    > Species: C. tuberculata *
> Genus: Celaenia (Bird-dropping Spiders)
    > Species: C. atkinsoni - Atkinson's Bird-dropping Spider
    > Species: C. calotoides - Marbled Bird-dropping Spider
    > Species: C. distincta
    > Species: C. dubia - False Bird-dropping Spider
    > Species: C. excavata - Common Bird-dropping Spider
> Genus: Cyrtobill
    > Species: C. darwini - Darwin's Cyrtobill
> Genus: Novakiella
    > Species: N. trituberculosa
> Genus: Ordgarius (Oriental Bolas Spiders)
    > Species: O. furcatus
    > Species: O. magnificus - Magnificent Bolas Spider
    > Species: O. monstrosus - Spiny Bolas Spider
> Genus: Poecilopachys
    > Species: P. australasia - Two-spined Spider
    > Species: P. speciosa ^
> Genus: Poltys (Twig Spiders)
    > Species: P. illepidus - Rough Twig Spider
    > Species: P. laciniosus - Wrapped-up Twig Spider ^
    > Species: P. noblei
> Genus: Socca
    > Species: S. pustulosa - Knobbled Orbweaver
    > Species: S. sydneyica
> Genus: Telaprocera (Australian Ladder-web Spiders)
    > Species: T. joanae - Joan's Ladder-web Spider
    > Species: T. maudae - Maude's ladder-web Spider

> Subfamily: Araneinae
> Genus: Anepsion
    > Species: A. peltoides - Tiny Button Orbweaver ^
> Genus: Araneus (Angulate and Roundshouldered Orbweavers)
    > Species: A. acuminatus - Pointy Orbweaver
    > Species: A. albotriangulus - White-winged Orbweaver
    > Species: A. circulissparsus - Speckled Orbweaver
    > Species: A. cyrtarachnoides - Blue Bush Orbweaver
    > Species: A. psittacinus - Parrot-coloured Orbweaver
    > Species: A. rotundulus - Small Round Orbweaver
    > Species: A. separatus ^
    > Species: A. stolidus
    > Species: A. usualis
> Genus: Backobourkia (Outback Orbweavers)
    > Species: B. brouni - Broun's marbled Orbweaver
    > Species: B. heroine - Heroic Orbweaver ^
> Genus: Cyclosa (Trashline Orbweavers)
    > Species: C. bacilliformis - Long-tailed Orbweaver
    > Species: C. insulana - Common Garbage Line Web Spider
    > Species: C. trilobata - Three-lobed Spider
> Genus: Dolophones (Wrap-around Spiders)
    > Species: D. conifera - Wrap-around Spider ^
    > Species: D. macleayi ^
    > Species: D. mammeata ^
    > Species: D. nasalis ^
    > Species: D. notacantha
    > Species: D. peltata
    > Species: D. testudinea ^
    > Species: D. tuberculata
    > Species: D. turrigera - Turreted Wrap-around Spider
> Genus: Eriophora ^
    > Species: ?
> Genus: Hortophora (Australasian Garden Orbweavers)
    > Species: H. biapicata
    > Species: H. lodicula
    > Species: H. megacantha
    > Species: H. tatianeae
    > Species: H. transmarina - Australian Garden Orbweaver
    > Species: H. urbana
    > Species: H. walesiana ^
    > Species: H. yesabah
> Genus: Kangaraneus
    > Species: K. amblycyphus
    > Species: K. arenaceus - Sandy Orbweaver *
> Genus: Larinia (Grass Orbweavers)
    > Species: L. montagui ^
    > Species: L. phthisica
> Genus: Leviana
    > Species: L. dimidiata - Half Orbweaver
    > Species: L. folium
> Genus: Mangrovia
    > Species: M. albida - White-back Orbweaver
> Genus: Neoscona (Spotted Orbweavers)
    > Species: N. inusta
    > Species: N. theisi - Common Web-Spider
> Genus: Plebs
    > Species: P. arleaeae
    > Species: P. bradleyi - Enamelled Spider
    > Species: P. eburnus - Eastern Bush orbweaver
> Genus: Salsa
    > Species: S. brisbanae - Brisbane Orbweaver
    > Species: S. fuliginata - Sooty Orbweaver

> Subfamily: Argiopinae
> Genus: Argiope (Garden Orbweavers)
    > Species: A. aetherea - Northern Saint Andrew's Cross Spider
    > Species: A. bullocki
    > Species: A. keyserlingi - Saint Andrew's Cross Spider
    > Species: A. magnifica - Magnificent Saint Andrew's Cross Spider
    > Species: A. ocyaloides - Bark-hugging Saint Andrew's Cross Spider
    > Species: A. picta - Painted Cross Spider ^
    > Species: A. protensa - Tailed Forest Spider
    > Species: A. trifasciata - Banded Garden Spider
> Genus: Gea
    > Species: G. heptagon - Heptagonal Orbweaver ^#
    > Species: G. theridioides - Common Gea

> Subfamily: Cyrtarachninae
> Genus: Cyrtarachne  (Bird-dropping Araneids)
    > Species: C. tricolor ^

> Subfamily: Cyrtophorinae
> Genus: Cyrtophora (Tentweb Weavers)
    > Species: C. crassipes - Fat-legged Tent-web Orbweaver
    > Species: C. exanthematica - Pan-web Orbweaver
    > Species: C. hirta - Russian Tent Spider
    > Species: C. moluccensis - Dome Web Spider
    > Species: C. parnasia

> Subfamily: Gasteracanthinae
> Genus: Austracantha
    > Species: A. minax - Christmas Jewel Spider
> Genus: Gasteracantha (Spiny Orbweavers)
    > Species: G. quadrispinosa - Four-spined Spiny Orbweaver
    > Species: G. sacerdotalis - Priestly Spiny Orbweaver

* = likely
^ = possibly
Re: Genus: Eriophora^  in Subfamily: Arianae,   quite a number of sightings have been reported on iNat. However of the seven species that remain within this genus, none are listed as Australian. It should be noted that all the sightings reported have, in all likelyhood, been misidentified.
^# = Recorded, and confirmed, for the first time in Australia in 2021 near Ballina. No records since.

References and links:

> Castanheira, P. de S. and Framenau, V.W. (2023). 'Kangaraneus, a new genus of orb-weaving spider from Australia (Araneae, Araneidae).'  Zoosystematics and Evolution 99(2): 307-323. doi:10.3897/zse.99.101417
>   Framenau, V.W. (2019). 'Generic and family transfers, and nomina dubia for orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) in the Australasian, Oriental and Pacific regions.' Evolutionary Systematics 3: 1-27. doi:10.3897/evolsyst.3.33454
> Framenau V.W., Baehr B.C. and Zborowski P., (2014) 'A Guide to the Spiders of Australia.' , Reed New Holland Publishers Pty. Ltd., Chatswood, N.S.W.
> Framenau, V.W., Baptista, R.L.C., Oliveira, F.S.M. and Castanheira, P. de S. (2021). 'Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian garden orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae).' Evolutionary Systematics 5(2): 275-334. doi:10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474
> Framenau, V.W. and Castanheira, P. de S. (2022). 'Revision of the new Australasian orb-weaving spider genus Salsa (Araneae, Araneidae).' ZooKeys 1102: 107-148. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1102.82388
>   Framenau, V.W., Castanheira, P. de S. and Vink, C.J., (2022). 'Taxonomy and systematics of the new Australo-Pacific orb-weaving spider genus Socca (Araneae: Araneidae).'  New Zealand Journal of Zoology 49(4): 263-334.  doi:10.1080/03014223.2021.2014899
>      Framenau, V.W., Vink, C.J., Scharff, N., Baptista, R.L.C. and Castanheira, P. de S. (2021). 'Review of the Australian and New Zealand orb-weaving spider genus Novakiella (Araneae, Araneidae).' Zoosystematics and Evolution 97(2): 393-405. doi:10.3897/zse.97.67788
> Levi, H.W., (1983). 'The orb-weaver genera Argiope, Gea, and Neogea from the Western Pacific Region (Araneae: Araneidae, Argiopinae).' Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 150 (1983): 247-338.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism
https://wsc.nmbe.ch/statistics/

Photographic contributions:
Beringen, Erik.    C 458 - C 540 - C 548 - C 55 - C 557 - C 612 - C 613 - C 614 - C 615 - C 634 - C 663 - C 1341.
Davey, Diana.    D 045 - D 086.
Lambert, Nick.    L 362 - L 365 - L 366 - L 367 - L 368.

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