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Spider Photos - Net Casting Spiders

The Net Casting spider lives in the warmer parts of  USA, Central and South America, Africa and Australia and is sometimes called the Ogre Faced spider. It is quite large - its body length is about 20mm, and with its legs stretched out, it is about 4 times that length.They have rarely been seen catching their prey because they hunt at night. Soon after sunset, the spider lays a few strands of silk among the leaves and twigs. It then constructs an "A" shaped framework of silk which is attached to the ground and supported above by a strand running to the twigs above. After finishing a small temporary platform, it begins work on the net. This is rectangular and about the size of a stamp, supported in each corner. It is made of a series of highly elastic strands of tangled silk that have been combed by the spider's back legs. Combed silk is not sticky like a web but works by tangling the hairs and scales of the insects it catches. Row by row, the spider builds its net and then hangs head down, holding the four corners of the net with its front legs and looks like a harmless stick. The Net Casting spider is not fussy what it eats - flies, butterflies, beetles, different insects, and sometimes eats each other. It now waits for an insect to pass and keeps watch with its 2 large middle eyes. When an insect passes, it lunges and stretches the net out to its full size to trap the insect on the ground.

It then bundles its prey up and covers it completely with silk before giving it a fatal bite with its poisonous fangs. During the night it eats the rest of the insect, leaving only a small ball. At day break, it returns to its resting position along a twig, hiding from birds and other predators. The Net Casting spider lays about 100 eggs in their silk sac.

Here's some photos sent in by viewers.

Yellow & Broad faced Sac Spiders

NET CASTING SPIDERS

24 March, 2012:
Hi, I've been searching the net for info on a couple of spiders and was hoping you could give me a more accurate identification:
This one was hanging above my uncle's front door in Sydney. I thought it might be some kind of net-casting spider or something?

31 July, 2010:
What is this?

Reply: This is Deinopis subrufa, commonly called a net casting spider. Spiders in this genus are also called ogre-faced spiders, due to the similarity between their appearance and that of the mythological creature, the ogre. It is distributed nearly worldwide in the tropics, from Australia to Africa and the Americas. glen

26 January, 2010:
Hi there, I found this spider inside my house in Rowville, Victoria 3178. It measured about 10cm length by 6cm wide. I wonder if you could identify it for me please and let me know if it's venomous ? I caught it and flicked it over into next doors garden as I don't agree with killing them but didn't want it in my house ! I look forward to hearing from you Regards Julie

Reply: This is an ogre-faced or net-casting spider, genus Deinopis. Stefan
8 January, 2007:
Hi, My buddy found the attached spider in his orange tree (Sydney, NSW) today. I've been scouring the net to try and find out what species it is and if there is any relation to it living in a citrus tree (does its food source live off the citrus etc.) I'm thinking its some type of crab spider, but can't be sure, have you seen this guy before ? Thanks Kane