A sub-social crab spider in medium to good-quality bushland and rainforest edges in coastal Queensland and NSW. Patterns and colours of both males and females ranging from jet black to quite pale. Many females and young live in a large, many-chambered nest in a subsocial lifestyle recently documented by Jasmin Ruch et al (ZooKeys 427: 1-19, (2014). The nests are woven with initially green leaves, twigs and other debris on the outer fringes of low shrubs and trees. The inner leaves often turn brown and more green leaves are attached on the outside. Main prey types are beetles and ants with small numbers of wasps caterpillars and flies. The most common host tree was found to be Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon. This spider species may in future be moved to Tharpyna, as no genuine Xysticus appear to live in Australia (pers. comm. Pawel Szymkowiak). ♀ 6mm ♂ 5mm
- Female, Side view
- Male, preparing to kite
- Another male, lighter coloured, from above
- Another female from above
- Another female oblique
- A typical nest, recently started
- Male on leaf facing
- Male on leaf from above
- References
Female, Side view
Male, preparing to kite
Another male, lighter coloured, from above
Another female from above
Another female oblique
A typical nest, recently started
Male on leaf facing
Male on leaf from above
References
- Ruch et al, 2014 - Re-description of Xysticus bimaculatus L. Koch, 1867 (Araneae, Thomisidae) and characterization of its subsocial lifestyle Jasmin Ruch, Torben Riehl, Peter Michalik