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Spider Photos - Australian Jumping Spiders

Widow Spiders

AUSTRALIAN JUMPING SPIDERS

Spider A (2pics) - from Ed's page I think genus Simaethula. First seen perched on a daisy bud, it jumped to the ground, crossed a path and climbed up this blade of grass. Seen only the once - tiny at 3-4mm. (NB: My size estimation skills are limited - bear this in mind when reading all comments which follow.)

Spider B (1pic) & Spider C (3pics) - both very small, less than 5mm. Both kept mainly to the sand but one C did jump up onto a low sleeper retaining wall. B was seen only the once, but there are several Cs about in my yard. Given the obvious similarity of form, they may both be genus Zenodorus, and, from Ed's page, C may be Zenodorus orbiculatus.

Spider C - could be Zenodorus orbiculatu??

Spider D (3pics) - from Ed's page, either genus Sandalodes, Ocrisiona ZZ275, or Frigga. There are quite a few of these in my Callistemons, and I've recently seen one in a Melaleuca quinquinervia (paperbark). They vary in size (is this age/sex based or have I a mix of the above genera?) from 5-6mm up to perhaps 12mm. I see them regularly sunning themselves or dining out on low branches, like this one.

Spider E (2pics) - from the web, perhaps Helpis sp. Several of these. They hang out on the windows of my house. They tolerate fairly close approaches though can get a bit agitated if one persists too long. Body perhaps just over 10mm long.

Spider F (2pics) - similar to E, so perhaps Helpis sp. A couple of these. More wide-ranging than the similar E, they wander the walls of my house, the paths, or the super six fencing. Like E, they tolerate fairly close approaches though can get a bit agitated if one persists too long. Body perhaps just over 10mm long.

Spider G (1pic) - Seen only once on super six fencing. I initially thought it was an F, but it obviously is not. Size similar to E and F.

Spider H (3pics) - at least two known. One haunts the space between the glass and flywire of my loungeroom window - its badge is yellowish. That part of the house's exterior is sheltered - photo ops very limited and obviously not unobstructed. The second hangs out on the brickwork near my back door, and only recently got daring enough to come down to doorknob level and lower - its badge, shown here, is off-white. This spider is also about 10mm long.

Spider I (1pic) - from Ed's page, Opisthoncus sp. (perhaps parcedentatus) A lovely little spider, perhaps just under 10mm long, dislodged from shrubbery, as was the next...

Spider J (1pic) - from Ed's page Lycidas Scutulatus. Another pretty spider,
about the same size as spider I.

Spider K (3pics) - from Ed's page genus Myrmarachne. So far seen only on Acacias. I think I have both sexes here, though which is which I'm uncertain. This ant mimicking spider is possibly 10mm long.

Spider L (3pics) - Sandalodes superbus - the largest of my sightings at perhaps 15+ mm. I've only seen the one spider, which lives under the loose bark which has peeled off to the base of a Coastal Moort. It's okay until it becomes aware of me, then vanishes for the rest of the day. Because it orients itself vertically on the bark, and generally faces down, I have been unable to properly catch its eyes.

Spider M (3pics) - from Ed's page, perhaps genus Holoplatys - and, from the web, aka. Sandalodes scopifer or Ocrisiona leucocomis. This spider lives under loose bark at the base of a big eucalypt. Quite wary, but has given me some chances. I'm not sure there isn't more than one of these, but, to date I have never seen two at the same time. Maybe 10-12mm in length.

Spider N (3 pics) - from Ed's page, perhaps genus Damoetas. Lives in very close proximity to Spider M. It's only 5-7mm long, yet I've seen it and M only centimetres apart, with the smaller showing no fear of being eaten, and the larger no interest in so partaking.

Spider O (3pic) - from Ed's page, Opisthoncus sp. Very like Spider I. At just under 10mm long, and dislodged from a eucalypt, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the other's complementary sex. Apologies for the harshness due to poor lighting.

Spider P (1 pic) - Approx 10mm long, this spider crossed my path after I had some work done on some trees badly affected by Perth's recent (2010-11) long dry spell. I have not seen the spider since.

Spider Q (2 pics) - Another likely refugee from the same disturbance. Another single sighting. Another one about 10mm long.

Spider R (2 pics) - from Ed's page, possibly Lycidas sp. This one was perhaps 9-10mm long. If not Lycidas sp., it is perhaps an Opisthoncus sp., though I've few grounds for that opinion.

Spider S (2 pics) - Another medium sized jumper, around 8-10mm in length. It looks very much like an unidentified species I found in another website recently.

Spider T (1 pic) - Very much like the Helpis sp. appearing in this page, though this one was much smaller, at perhaps 5-6mm. As a guide, the greyish 'road' it is facing is the standard mortar width between courses of bricks.

Spider U (2 pics) - Very small, at perhaps 2-3mm. This tiny spider was found on a strip of newly fallen bark shed by a recently drought killed eucalypt. On that same tree was a Holoplatys sp. (Spider M) and under it, also on a bit of bark, was Spider V (next).

Spider V (2 pics) - Very small, probably exaggerated even at 2mm. As mentioned above, it was found on a bit of bark shed by a recent drought victim. The longitudinal white stripe on its back is a true colour feature, not a reflection like the other larger white patches, and its palps seemed a brighter green through the viewfinder - perhaps the flash washed them out a bit. Pity, I recall it as more striking than it appears here.