Silver Orb Weaving Spiders

Alternative name/s:
Humped Orb Weaving Spiders; Silver Orb Weavers
  • Author(s)
    Dr Mike Gray
  • Updated
    09/07/24
  • Read time
    2 minutes
silver orb weaving spiders Click to enlarge image
- Image: Trcabroad
creative commons

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Leucauge
    Family
    Tetragnathidae
    Super Family
    Araneoidea
    Suborder
    Araneomorphae
    Order
    Araneae
    Class
    Arachnida
    Phylum
    Arthropoda
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    1 cm

Introduction

Silver Orb Weaving Spiders are recognised by their long, silvery bodies.

Identification

Silver Orb Weaving Spidersare easily recognised by their silvery body, with yellow or green and black markings. They are long-bodied, long-limbed spiders. The abdomen often has rounded 'shoulder' humps that give these spiders their other common name of Humped Orb Weaving Spiders.

Habitat

The Silver Orb Weaving Spider is often found amongst understorey vegetation in moist forest and woodland habitats, including streamside and swampland vegetation.

Silver Orb-Weaving Spiders build small flimsy, horizontal webs among shrubs and grasses or over water.

Distribution

Silver Orb Weaving Spiders are found throughout Australia.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

Feeding and diet

Silver Orb Weaving Spiders remain in their webs during the day and capture flies and other small insects.

Predators

Predators of orb weaving spiders include several bird species and wasps of the family Sphecidae. The wasps land on the web, lure the spider to the perimeter by imitating a struggling insect's vibrations, and then carry the spider away to be paralysed and stored as live food for their young.

Danger to humans

Orb weaving spiders are reluctant to bite. Symptoms are usually negligible or mild local pain, numbness and swelling. Occasionally nausea and dizziness can occur after a bite. Silver Orb Weaving Spiders have very small fangs and they are timid and reluctant to bite.

Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.

References

  • Simon-Brunet, B. 1994. The Silken Web: a natural history of Australian spiders.Reed Books.
  • York Main, B. 1976. Spiders. The Australian Naturalist Library, Collins.
  • Connell, N.T. 2001. Brood Cell Provisioning By Wasps Of The Family Sphecidae. Entomology 325, Cornell University.
  • Blackledge, T.A. and Pickett, K.M. 2000. Predatory Interactions Between Mud-Dauber Wasps (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) and Argiope (Araneae, Araneidae) in Captivity. The Journal of Arachnologyhttp://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_tocs/JOA_v28n2.html#211