|
This Scorpion Tailed Spider was found on bottle-brush shrub. They don't seem to be particularly common in the area. This is the only one I have seen. This one was about 20mm body length.
Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.
|
|
|
SPIDER FACTS |
Description
The Scorpion Tailed Spider body is various shades of brown but most commonly fawn, with a black tip on the end of the abdomen. The female has long tail that can be curled over the body, making it look a bit like a scorpion. She spins a small orb web in shrubbery. The male is smaller and has no tail, and may be found on the edge of the web.
Size
female 11mm, male 3mm
Habitat
Woodland, forest. Found near the ground close to foliage.
Food
insects caught in web
Breeding
In late summer and autumn, the female Scorpion Tailed Spider produces a series of woolly yellowish egg sacs which she strings up in a line from the centre of the web to fill the missing section. The egg sacs are often camouflaged with debris and the spider sits at the bottom of the string in the centre of the web.
Notes
Bites are rare, and result in minor symptoms such as local pain and swelling.
Classification
| Class: | Arachnida | | Order: | Araneomorphae | | Family: | Araneidae | | Genus: | Arachnura | | Species: | higginsi | | Common Name: | Scorpion Tailed Spider |
|
|
