Australian garden orb weaver spider

Taxobox
name = Australian garden orb weaver spider

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image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Araneae
subordo = Araneomorphae
familia = Araneidae
genus = "Eriophora"
binomial = "Eriophora transmarina"
binomial_authority = (Keyserling, 1865)
synonyms ="Epeira transmarina"
"Epeira viridis"
"Epeira producta"
"Epeira thyridota"
"Epeira capitalis"
"Araneus productus"
"Aranea producta"
"Araneus capitalis"
"Araneus transmarinus"

The Australian garden orb weaver spider ("Eriophora transmarina") is a very common species of spider with many variants in size, shape and colour within Australia. They are often brightly coloured and have very large abdomens.

They are notable for the large and intricate webs which they weave at night. They are nocturnal feeders, resting head down in their webs to catch flying insects. They make their sticky rounded webs near lights and in between trees where insects are likely to fly. During the day the spider rests somewhere nearby the web, but not actually on it. To humans the bite gives mild, local pain for 30 minutes, strong for three to four hours.

The female can be distinguished by a needle-like epigynum protruding in the direction of the spinnerets.

External links

* [http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/Spidaus.html Spiders of Australia]
* [http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/find/spiders/105.htm Garden Orb Weaver]
* [http://www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au/orbweaver.htm Orb Weavers/Garden Spiders]
* [http://spiders.zacharoo.com Australian Spider Photos]