Common in Queensland coastal areas, extending inland, in most vegetated habits, especially in grasses. It has black and orange lines running the length of its body and is generally longer and thinner than other species (about four times as long as wide) except the tropical Oxyopes papuana. It hunts on foliage in the daytime, eating invertebrates incuding other spiders. The Latin macilentus means lean, thin or skinny. Where their ranges overlap O. macilentus can be told apart from O. papuanus by the length of the tip of the male palp. O. papuanus has a shorter tip. ♀ 10mm ♂ 9mm
Female guarding egg sac
A female guarding her egg sac on the underside of a leaf. They will guard the young for some time also.
- Female guarding egg sac
- Female closeup - facing camera
- Lynx spider with fly
- Lynx spider with native bee
- Female 230111 Freshwater National Park 230111 pregnant from side
- Female 230111 Freshwater National Park 230111 pregnant from above
- Female 230111 Freshwater National Park 230111 egg sac
- Female 230111 Freshwater National Park 230111 after laying eggs
- Female 230111 Freshwater National Park 230111 epigyne
- Female on Lantana flowers, North Stradbroke Island
- Female on flower, Alexandra Hills
- Female on leaf
- Male adult Freshwater National Park, in alcohol
- Male palp with characteristic long skinny tip - specimen from Freshwater National Park
- Male adult, facing, amongst windblown seed
- Male adult facing from side, showing palps
- O. macilentus being eaten by Thomisus spectabilis
- Illustration: L. Koch
Female closeup - facing camera
Lynx spider with fly
This spider has its fangs deep into the head of a fly (Musca sp) and is in the process of ingesting its essence. Photographed Sunday, 28 October 2007 in Jevons St Park, The Gap.
Lynx spider with native bee
This spider is tucking into a meal of native bee. Perhaps the pollen was weighing down the bee and made it a little easier to catch.