A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia

Description

Australians have a love-hate relationship with spiders. Spiders inspire fear, especially dangerous species such as the Redback and Sydney Funnelweb. Yet Peacock Spiders, whose males spread a colorful fan and wave their legs in a courtship dance to impress females, have won rapturous appreciation worldwide. A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia covers all known Australian spider families, using over 1,300 stunning color photographs of live animals to enable identification of commonly encountered spiders to the family level, and, in some cases, to genus and species. Highly accurate and vetted by experts, it contains the most up-to-date taxonomy information and is the most comprehensive account of Australian spiders ever published. With more than two-thirds of Australian spiders yet to be scientifically described, this field guide sets the scene for future explorations of the extraordinary Australian fauna. For the full list of spider families included in the guide, click here. Cover Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Introduction From arachnophobia to arachnophilia How to use this book Determining species – everything helps, including genitals Australia’s rich arachnological history Parts of a spider – the need-to-know terms Shortcuts to identification Behaviour Eyes Spinnerets Location Webs Burrows Egg sacs Leaf-curlers Spider families from A to Z Araneomorphae Araneidae Orb-weavers Araneinae Classic Orb-weavers Araneus – a huge task of discovery and classification Backobourkia – a true Aussie genus Cyclosa – a genus needing some serious attention New discoveries in the west, with some shared Argiopinae St Andrew’s Cross Spiders and allies Cyrtarachninae Shiny Orb-weavers Cyrtophorinae Tent-web Orb-weavers Gasteracanthinae Spiny Orb-weavers Mastophorinae Bolas Spiders and allies Nephilinae Golden Orb-weavers Kleptoparasites – who’s been stealing from my web? Zygiellinae Leaf-curling Orb-weavers Where did they come from and how did they get here? Arkyidae Ambush-hunters Variations galore – and they all look like poo A case of convergence – ambush-hunters among flowers Clubionidae Sac Spiders Corinnidae Swift Spiders and Ant Mimics Ticopa – a corinnid with an unusual biology Deinopidae Net-casting Spiders Desidae Intertidal and House Spiders Eutichuridae Slender Sac Spiders The problem of species, subspecies and forms Filistatidae Crevice Weavers Gnaphosidae Ground Spiders The gnaphosid genus Eilica – running with ants Hersiliidae Two-tailed Spiders Lamponidae White‐tailed Spiders Linyphiidae Money Spiders Lycosidae Wolf Spiders Mimetidae Pirate Spiders Miturgidae Prowling Spiders Nicodamidae Red-and-black Spiders Oxyopidae Lynx Spiders Pholcidae Daddy Long-legs Spiders Pisauridae Fishing Spiders Prodidomidae Long-spinneret Speedsters Salticidae Jumping Spiders Jumping Spider diversity – so many species, so little time Is it an ant? Or is it an ant-mimicking Jumping Spider? Peacock Spiders – tiny dancers going viral as video stars When is a Maratus not a Maratus? This is the question. Ant, ant, on the wall, who mimics you best of all? Calling all citizen scientists for project Opisthoncus Extraordinary hunting strategies for a spider specialist Separating Servaea species – DNA helps paint the picture Scytodidae Spitting Spiders Segestriidae Tube-web Spiders Sparassidae Huntsman Spiders Tetragnathidae Long-jawed Spiders Theridiidae Comb-footed Spiders The Redback Spider – an Australian now living overseas Tiny forest jewels – spectacular Thwaitesia spiders Thomisidae Crab Spiders Notes on some recent name changes A remarkable find – the missing male of a famous female A spectacular ambush-hunter – Thomisus spectabilis Trochanteriidae Unusual Flatties Uloboridae Venomless Spiders Zodariidae Ant-eating Spiders Mygalomorphae Actinopodidae Mouse Spiders Barychelidae Brush-footed Trapdoor Spiders Ctenizidae Saddle-legged Trapdoor Spiders Dipluridae Curtain-web Spiders Hexathelidae Australian Funnelweb Spiders Idiopidae Spiny Trapdoor Spiders Migidae Tree Trapdoor Spiders Nemesiidae Wishbone Spiders An expert’s eye view of a Wishbone Spider Theraphosidae Australian Tarantulas Little-known spider families Agelenidae Funnel Weavers Amaurobiidae Hackled-mesh Weavers Ammoxenidae Termite Hunters Anapidae Tiny Orb-weavers Anyphaenidae Seashore Spiders Archaeidae Assassin Spiders Austrochilidae Tasmanian Cave Spiders Cithaeronidae Cosmopolitan Spider Hunters Cyatholipidae Tree Sheet-web Spiders Ctenidae Wandering Spiders Cycloctenidae Scuttling Spiders Dictynidae Mesh-web Spiders Dysderidae Woodlouse Hunters Gallieniellidae Long-jawed Ground Spiders Gradungulidae Long-claw Spiders Hahniidae Comb‐tailed Spiders Malkaridae Shield Spiders Liocranidae Spiny‐legged Sac Spiders Mysmenidae Minute Litter Spiders Nesticidae Cave Cobweb Spinners Ochyroceratidae Midget Ground Weavers Oecobiidae Midget House Spiders Oonopidae Goblin Spiders Orsolobidae Six-eyed Ground Spiders Physoglenidae Hair-spike Synotaxids Philodromidae Running Crab Spiders Periegopidae Wide-clawed Spiders Phrurolithidae Small Swift Spiders Psechridae Lace-sheet Weavers Selenopidae Flatties Sicariidae Recluse Spiders Symphytognathidae Dwarf Orb-weaving Spiders Stenochilidae Diamond-headed Spiders Stiphidiidae Platform Spiders Tetrablemmidae Armoured Spiders Theridiosomatidae Ray Spiders Toxopidae Southern Hunting Spiders Trachelidae Ground Sac Spiders Zoropsidae False Wolf Spiders Glossary Photo credits Readings Index Index of family common names Spiders – family tree