Arkys alatus Keyserling, 1890 Winged Arkys

A small ambush hunter on foliage, widespread in all types of coastal rainforest and other habitats with good rainfall from central Queensland to Victoria. It is a flattish spider with white, cream, dark-grey or brown overall colour and ornate patterns and knobs. The cephalothorax is just slightly longer than wide. The lateral eyes are on a projecting knob. The pattern on the abdomen can resemble a ghoulish looking skull or a spectral dog's head. The leading or front half of the abdomen is very wide, abruptly narrowing about half way back to a parallel sided tail with projecting horns or hardened tubercles. The abdomen looks like a pair of outstretched wings and has horns on the extremities, two pairs further back and another two pairs on the trailing edge. Tibia I with 6 long and 1 short spines: spine 2 originating twice as far from spine 1 as from spine 3. It waits with arms folded for prey to come within range. Its food is mostly insects including ants. The eggsac is pale coloured to white flocculent silk suspended by a stalk underneath a leaf. The name alataus means winged. ♀ 6mm ♂ 5mm