3 replies to this topic

[Mystic]

Hoping that someone can help me to identify this spider. We did once send a copy of this image to UTas, though I don't think the peson read the description and simply looked at the image. He wrote back to suggest that it was an uncommonly large species for Tasmania, and likely a Victorian import that ate small birds and fish. After writing back to point out the macro makes the spider look much larger than it really is and indicating (again) the true size we never had any further responses.

The image greatly magnifies the size of this spider that was spotted around Mole Creek area. The body is about 2 cm long and the legs are about 6-7 cm from extreme tip to tip.

[nineteenineteen]

I'm no good with spiders, but the Queen Victoria Musem & Art Gallery in Launceston have a pretty good invertebrates section. I've sent pictures of things to them previously & had good, informative responses.

Try: zoology@qvmag.tas.gov.au

I will mention that QVMAG lost a lot of their staff in restructuring about 12 months ago, so I'm not sure whether the knowledge & expertise on spiders survived the cull.

Also, I'm not sure if you done this already (first hit on a google search!), but the Australian Museum have a pretty good section on arachnids:

http://www.amonline.net.au/spiders/

Good luck! Would be happy to see what they ID your little beastie as...

[Mystic]

Thanks Wayne. Have tried the Aust Museum online, but no luck there. Will give the QVMAG ago and see if they can help. Will post any ID I can get on this "beastie", but I think it is really a cutie, for a spider anyway

[Mystic]

I have finally had an identification on this spider, thanks to the suggestion by Wayne above.

Owen Seeman, Collection Manager : Arachnids, finally got back to me today. After apologising for forgetting to respond earlier he identified the spider as :

the spider in your photos is a female Stiphidion facetum. It?s a fairly common spider in Tasmania. The web looks a little like a sombrero, hence its common name ?sombrero spider?.

The mystery is finally solved.