Cyclosa conica is a small spider with no common name. It is an orb weaver, and it is easily recognized by the way it strings together the dead bodies of insects and other debris and hangs it near the centre of its web. It hides on this string of debris, and its natural coloration makes it extremely difficult to see until it moves. One of its defences against predators is to blend in with this debris and to feign death when disturbed.
These spiders are small. The females range from 5.3 mm. to 7.5 mm., and the males range from 3.6 mm. to 4 mm. It is an odd looking spider which has a single tubercle (hump) on the rear of its abdomen and builds a web with stabilimentum (lines across the centre of the web) which it often covers in dead insects. This spider can be quite variable in colour and pattern, however its shape is so distinctive that it is hard to mistake. The colouring oranges from deep orange to almost white and also green and brown. Here’s some photos sent in by viewers.
