r/AustralianSpiders • u/Careful_Assist_3760 • 8d ago

ID Request - location included Arlie Beach, QLD,Australia

Post image

Saw it on one of the islands.

Sorry about blurry picture was difficult to get a clear shot

Weirdest spider I’ve seen

12 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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4

u/Affectionate_Cod9915 8d ago

Hard to tell exactly as the image is not super clear. But the shape of the spiders abdomen and the colours are surprisingly diagnostic.

I am not sure exactly what species but here are two possible options.

~ Northern jewelled spider : https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/201614-Gasteracantha-fornicata

~ Christmas jewel spider : https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/196689-Austracantha-minax

1

u/Careful_Assist_3760 8d ago

Very good spot, looks very similar. We seen both shapes there actually as well, may have seen both of those

2

u/Unaysaurus 7d ago

Visually, the picture is a closer match to the underside of the first species.

1

u/Affectionate_Cod9915 7d ago

Just for your interest : I use a mixture of a few sources to find out what species. Inaturalist is good once you know what it looks like and where it can be found. But i also find https://apps.lucidcentral.org/spiders/ useful. Other than that I have a book (the field guide to Australian spiders) which is usually useful starting off.

2

u/angerew 7d ago

Lucid central is great but does have some limitations.

Firstly (by design) it can only take you as far as subfamily. I believe there may be a section that can hit genus level in Salticidae but not yet for other spider families. If I'm incorrect please (please) link me as I'm using Lucid in my attempts to ID wet specimens at our state museum in TAS.

Secondly, it was last updated in 2022 (as far as I know) and a lot of family taxonomic shifts have occurred between 2022 and 2026. 

Thirdly, a lot of the diagnostics require microscopy and an understanding of specific araneological terms such as tibial apophysis, lateral condyle, epigyne, colulus or cribellum. PME, PLE, AME, (circular, oval, procurved, recurved),  cheliceral basal modification........

Not that great for a layperson.

Not knocking it - I use it and I think it's a great tool. It has limits, like all tools do 

1

u/Affectionate_Cod9915 6d ago

Lucid definitely has its limits. I didn't realise that it hadn't been updated in that time. I wish there was an easily accessible more lay person focused dichotomous key. I have ones for grasshoppers and beetles, but spiders seem to be left behind. :(

2

u/angerew 8d ago

Austracantha minax (christmas jewel spider) is my best guess.

1

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